Lt Gen Simon Stuart says troops will face ‘opportunities and challenges’ but shadow defence minister says army will be weakened by changes

Five schools preparing to close, according to local report, with others made to merge amid falling school enrolment numbersHong Kong schools are being forced to merge or prepare for closure as a decade-long decline in the birthrate and a recent exodus of residents from the city has led to a plunge in student numbers.Local media have reported that at least five schools face closure in coming years after they failed to reach the minimum 16 enrolments in the first grade. There have been two recent cases of schools merging with each other due to insufficient student numbers. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: The ex-deputy PM has found ample support from some quarters after an investigation into bullying was released. Our political correspondents explain how Raab’s anger drove the discourse

Own-label items available less than 1% of the time at Sainsbury’s Local, Tesco Express and Morrisons Daily, finds consumer groupLow-income families are missing out on the chance to pick up supermarkets’ lowest-priced essentials as fewer than 1% of the leading chains’ smaller stores stock them, according to a study.The consumer group Which? dispatched mystery shoppers to hunt for a list of about 30 items under the cut-price own-label ranges in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons stores, including apples, beef mince, tinned tomatoes, rice and instant coffee. Continue reading...

Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, said narrative of ‘snowflake millennials’ was toxic to WhitehallRishi Sunak needs to speak out against the “torrent of invective against the civil service” unleashed by Dominic Raab or risk a toxic environment in Whitehall, the former head of the UK civil service has said.Lord Kerslake said Sunak needed to publicly reject the narrative that complaints of bullying, upheld against Raab in an official report published on Friday, are “all about snowflake millennials and a fifth column in the civil service, and the idea that the civil service are working to bring down ministers they don’t like”. Continue reading...

Far-right cable news host leaves with immediate effect with interim presenters replacing himThe far-right host Tucker Carlson has left Fox News, it was abruptly announced on Monday.“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the network said in a statement. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.” Continue reading...

Greg Williams offered transportation for women seeking out-of-state care after the supreme court’s Dobbs decision last yearAbout three weeks after the US supreme court last year struck down the federal right to abortion, Greg Williams, a volunteer pilot for a group that provides free flights to people who need to travel for medical care, posted a Facebook message.“If any women need to make an unexpected trip from the south to, say, Illinois or New Mexico or Virginia for reasons that are none of my business, I can provide safe, private air transport that would get you where you need to go and back the same day at a price that will work for you,” Williams wrote on 28 June 2022. Continue reading...

What Kids Are Reading report found communities on sites such as TikTok helped stimulate interest in readingThe number of books read by children increased by almost a quarter last year, according to a report, as BookTok and other social media trends stimulated interest in reading for young people.The 2023 What Kids Are Reading report, which surveyed children in the UK and Ireland, found that pupils read 27,265,657 books in the 2021-2022 academic year, 24% more than the 2020-2021 academic year. Continue reading...

If Tory MPs vote down opposition day motion, Labour can accuse them of thwarting attempts to clean up rivers, beaches and chalk streamsLabour is planing to use the same Commons procedure that helped remove Liz Truss from Downing Street to force Conservative MPs into a politically embarrassing vote about whether to toughen up rules on sewage discharges.The party plans to use its regular opposition day motion on Tuesday to push a binding motion, which would oblige the government to set aside Commons time next week for a debate and vote on a Labour bill to impose tougher penalties for sewage spills. Continue reading...

Labour must balance tackling antisemitism with demonstrating an even-handed complaints systemKeir Starmer and his allies have been using the local election campaign as a trial run ahead of the all-important general election next year. For the last three and a half weeks, they have been laser-focused on campaigning on doorsteps, pushing out Twitter attack adverts and setting out what they would do in office.But 10 days before the key electoral test, Labour finds itself desperately trying to stave off yet another racism row. After Diane Abbott was swiftly suspended from the party for her remarks in a letter to the Observer, speculation has swirled on how long officials will take to investigate her comments and decide on her fate. Continue reading...

Health secretary Steve Barclay claims some industrial action is unlawful as mandate will have expiredMinisters are pressing ahead with a legal challenge to halt some of this weekend’s planned strike by nurses in England.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) disclosed on Monday evening that the government is applying to the high court in London for a ruling that the action by nurses on Tuesday 2 May is illegal. Continue reading...

Publication follows weeks of allegations about Confederation of British Industry reported by the Guardian

Labour leader says former shadow home secretary has experienced racial abuse but her comments should be condemned. This live blog is closedIn his Q&A with business leaders Rishi Sunak paid tribute to the role played by the armed forces in the evacuation of embassy staff from Sudan. Sunak said:We saw a great example [of the value of the military] over the weekend with the incredible bravery of our armed forces in rescuing our diplomats from Sudan. Continue reading...

Milestone marks the first time since 1950 that China has dropped to second place in global population ranksIndia has overtaken China as the world’s most populous country, according to UN population estimates, the most significant shift in global demographics since records began.According to the UN’s projections, which are calculated through a variety of factors including census data and birth and death rates, India now has a population of 1,425,775,850, surpassing China for the first time. Continue reading...

In letter to members, Brian McBride says group did not have measures in place to ‘protect our people from those seeking to cause harm’Britain’s most prominent business lobby group, the Confederation of British Industry, has said it failed to “filter out culturally toxic people” from its ranks including those accused of sexual harassment.The letter, sent by the CBI president, Brian McBride, to its members, said the organisation “tried to find resolution in sexual harassment cases when we should have removed those offenders from our business”. It comes after a series of revelations about its culture and the behaviour of its senior staff from the Guardian. Continue reading...

Head of intelligence in Ukraine says Bakhmut is the only frontline area in which Russian troops are making any attempt to advance. This live blog is closed

Politicians and protesters urged to stay away from events honouring those killed serving in armed forces and in terrorist attacksIsrael’s memorial day, in which those killed serving in the armed forces as well as terrorist attacks are honoured, is usually quiet and sombre; then, at sunset, independence day celebrations and fireworks begin.But this year, as the country readies for the consecutive holidays, Israelis find themselves grappling with an unprecedented political crisis that has divided society and cast a shadow over what are supposed to be displays of national unity. Continue reading...

Poll results 12 days before Charles coronation show 78% of over-65s back monarchy but just 32% of 18-24sNearly 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds in the UK would prefer an elected head of state over keeping the monarchy, a poll has found as the king’s coronation approaches.The survey of adults of all ages also found that fewer people said they were interested in the royal family than interested in it. Continue reading...

US agency sends in disaster response teams as western nations pull diplomats and citizens out of strife-torn countryThe US has warned of shortages of vital medicines, food and water in Sudan and deployed disaster response experts to the region, as efforts intensified to evacuate foreign diplomats and citizens from Khartoum.On Sunday, the UK successfully evacuated its diplomatic staff and their dependants from Khartoum in a complex operation, while Germany and France said they had each evacuated more than 100 people. Italy, Spain and Canada also evacuated their citizens among other nationalities. A Dutch military plane took evacuees to Jordan early on Monday, the Dutch foreign ministry said. The US evacuated diplomats, embassy workers and their families on Saturday night. Continue reading...

Full list of site closures in England and Scotland as Italian food chain blames inflation for decisionThe Italian restaurant chain Prezzo has said it plans to close 46 outlets in the UK, putting 810 jobs at risk, in a sign of the struggles for the casual dining sector amid the cost of living crisis.Announcing the news on Monday, the company blamed inflation, saying rising costs made it impossible for it to make a profit in some locations. Continue reading...

Retailer limits purchases to two a customer after cold snap in Europe hits suppliesBritish supermarkets are running short of peppers after a cold snap in Europe, leading some to limit the number customers can purchase.In a repeat of the shortages of salad crops in February and March, another bout of unseasonably cold weather in southern Europe has disrupted the harvest of fruit and vegetables, particularly peppers. Continue reading...

British singer, 32, accused of violating copyright from 1973 soul classic Let’s Get It On in 2014 hit Thinking Out LoudJury selection and opening statements are set to begin today in a trial that mashes up Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud with Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On.The heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer of the 1973 soul classic, sued Sheeran, alleging the English pop star’s hit 2014 tune has “striking similarities” to Let’s Get It On and “overt common elements” that violate their copyright. Continue reading...

UKHSA says adolescent vaccination rates have faltered, leaving many at risk of catching deadly diseasesVaccination rates have fallen among schoolchildren in England since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, health officials have said, amid a global crisis of confidence in vaccines.Fears have been expressed in recent months that thousands of children are at risk of catching deadly diseases, such as meningitis and blood poisoning, with significant outbreaks likely due to reduced vaccination rates. Continue reading...

Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater and Budapest Festival Orchestra among performers named in lineupThis year’s Edinburgh international festival will focus on themes of hope, community and new perspectives as it attempts to draw audiences back into theatres after the Covid pandemic.It in its first year led by the Scottish concert violinist Nicola Benedetti, the festival will host Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater, the Budapest Festival Orchestra playing to an audience on beanbags, and the youthful Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Continue reading...

Government ‘broadly supportive’ as report recommends allowing for ads and scrapping of police powers

Panel established in response to George Floyd killing will visit Washington DC, Atlanta, LA, Chicago, Minneapolis and New YorkA team of United Nations experts has arrived in the US on a tour that will focus on racial justice, law enforcement and policing.On Monday, the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement, an independent panel appointed by the UN human rights council, began its two-week visit to the US. Continue reading...

Hundreds of healthcare professionals fear plan will cause ‘catastrophic mental and physical harm’ to refugeesMore than 830 UK health professionals and representatives from leading medical bodies have signed a letter to the prime minister expressing “grave concerns” that the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda will cause “catastrophic mental and physical harm” to people seeking safety, in advance of a court of appeal hearing on the policy on Monday.Signatories to the letter include the BMA and the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists. Continue reading...

Big showering of affection at beginning of relationship can be used to confuse victims and gain control, CPS warnsNew guidance on how to prosecute abusive partners for controlling and coercive behaviour has highlighted the phenomenon of love-bombing, a tactic used by suspects to confuse victims and gain more control.The Crown Prosecution Service’s updated guidance sets out the varied, sophisticated and subtle ways suspects can manipulate their partners to exert control over their lives, and to seek to minimise the likelihood of detection and punishment. Continue reading...

Death toll passes 420, including 264 civilians, and more than 3,700 wounded as ceasefires fail to holdWestern and other nations have intensified increasingly desperate efforts to evacuate diplomats and their dependents from Khartoum, as battles raged in the centre of the Sudanese capital and in its twin city of Omdurman.With a series of ceasefires failing to hold, the death toll has now passed 420, including 264 civilians, and more than 3,700 have been wounded, according to local and international NGOs. However, most analysts believe the true total of fatalities and injuries in more than nine days of fighting is much higher. Continue reading...

Ant and Dec pay tribute to fellow Byker Grove alumni as ‘the loveliest of guys’ after family announce deathThe Emmerdale actor Dale Meeks, who recently starred in ITV drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat, has died aged 47, his family has said.Meeks played the character Simon Meredith in Emmerdale between 2003 and 2006. Continue reading...

Lou Conter, 101, is now final survivor of ship on which 1,177 were killed when Japanese attack brought US into second world warKen Potts, one of the last two survivors of the USS Arizona battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 102.Howard Kenton Potts died on Friday at the home in Provo, Utah, that he shared with his wife of 66 years, according to Randy Stratton, whose late father, Donald Stratton, was Potts’s Arizona shipmate and friend. Continue reading...

Media giant parent Comcast says investigation by outside counsel led to departure of executiveThe chief executive of NBC Universal, Jeff Shell, left the media giant on Sunday after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, following a complaint that prompted an investigation, parent company Comcast said.“I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” Shell said in a statement. Continue reading...

Wayne Stevens, 51, died at the scene after the incident at Cameron Road on Saturday morningA man has been charged over a fatal dog attack at a house in Derby.Wayne Stevens, 51, died at the scene after the incident on Saturday morning. Continue reading...

No one paid much attention to the emergency test, and in Westminster it was hard to distinguish Armageddon from business as usualThis is the way the world ends.The queue for the self-service checkouts in Sainsbury’s doubled back on itself and snaked round the corner into the washing powder aisle. Shortly after 3pm, the first alarm went off. Not loud but insistent. Others soon followed suit. Mine took a while to kick in. My phone has never been quick on the uptake. Continue reading...

Radio 1 DJ sets record less than 12 months after stopping chemotherapy for bowel cancerThe Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has become the fastest woman to complete the London Marathon with a stoma bag, clocking a time of 3hr 30min and 22sec.The 44-year-old, who began using a stoma bag in 2021 after surgery for bowel cancer, said “up yours, cancer” after her achievement. Continue reading...

At her concert on Friday night in Knoxville, the performer invited drag queens on stage to rebuke state’s anti-drag legislationIn a concert on Friday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, in a glittery protest against state legislation designed to restrict drag performances in public, the singer Lizzo filled her stage with drag queens.In concert at the Thompson-Boling arena, the Grammy-winning Juice singer brought out drag performers including Aquaria, Kandy Muse, Asia O’Hara and Vanessa Vanji. Continue reading...

MP loses party whip after writing letter suggesting Jewish, Irish, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people had not experienced racism

Exclusive: Labour says ‘alarming’ NHS figures show rising number of people on waiting lists for support reaching out to 999 in a crisisAmbulance crews in England are spending 1.8m hours a year – the equivalent of 75,000 days – dealing with patients with mental health problems, new NHS figures reveal.Labour’s Dr Rosena Allin-Khan said the data showed that lack of help for people experiencing mental ill health was adding to the strain on the hard-pressed ambulance service. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Cross-party collection of parliamentarians write letter to Sports Direct owner’s companyAlmost 50 MPs and peers have written to Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, the corporate owner of the tycoon’s retail portfolio including House of Fraser and Sports Direct, condemning the use of “live facial recognition” cameras in the group’s stores.Describing the technology as “invasive and discriminatory”, the parliamentarians, a cross-party collection including David Davis, John McDonnell and Tim Farron, have urged the group to end the use of the cameras across the country. Continue reading...

Constant attacks from Russian troops have made it impossible for Kherson residents to return to their normal lives. This blog is now closed

Shoppers at Westfield Stratford reported they hadn’t received the alert, while some that did questioned its usefulness

Rishi Sunak says ‘complex and rapid’ operation carried out, amid fears for remaining UK nationalsThe UK has evacuated its diplomatic staff and their dependants from Khartoum, the British prime minister and foreign secretary said on Sunday, but UK nationals still living in Sudan remained in the country.Announcing the evacuation, Rishi Sunak said British armed forces had carried out “a complex and rapid” military operation. The evacuation involved members of UK special forces and the Parachute Regiment. Continue reading...

Flood of Confederation of British Industry members have quit since allegations reported by the GuardianThe Labour party has cut all ties with the Confederation of British Industry after the Guardian’s revelations about alleged sexual misconduct by male employees at the lobbying group.The CBI experienced an exodus of major member businesses at the end of last week, including the insurer Aviva, the retailer John Lewis, the manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover and the banking firm Natwest Group. Companies said the lobby group was unable to carry out its role effectively following the allegations, after a second woman alleged to the Guardian that she was raped by two male colleagues when she worked at the CBI. Continue reading...

Thinktank says infiltration into area east of Dnipro river could be first step toward trying to dislodge Russian forces

The AE1 was found 103 years after it sank in the first world war. Now a team hopes to salvage part of the disintegrating wreck to be preserved in a museum

More than 140,000 people who traded welfare payments for loans are still repaying them decades later

New figures from the home affairs department show some families are waiting years for temporary visas to be processedAustralian families are living in constant fear of being torn apart, as wait times for partner visas blow out – to years in some cases, according to newly released figures.The Department of Home Affairs has released figures on partner visa processing times to Guardian Australia in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading...

Italian opera composer’s lost works to be performed in London after discovery by British musicologistUp to 90 previously unknown songs by one of classical music’s greatest composers, Gaetano Donizetti, will be heard for the first time in more than 200 years after their discovery by a leading British musicologist.Roger Parker, a professor of music at King’s College London, described the scores as “incredible” and worthy of Donizetti’s most popular operas, masterpieces that include Lucia di Lammermoor. Continue reading...

New deputy prime minister says he has experienced ‘frustrations’ dealing with Whitehall officials

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