Three-day operation comes after Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen met with Kevin McCarthy in CaliforniaChina launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it called a “stern warning” to the self-ruled island’s government following a meeting between its president and the US House speaker.The move sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was “monitoring Beijing’s actions closely”. Continue reading...

Global director general says ‘state of in-limbo cannot last longer’, with about 40 citizens still believed to be detained indefinitely

Second report detailing disturbing workplace culture at division has put onus on government to enact major reform

Further violence feared after Arab-Israeli man drives his vehicle into busy city promenade following a West Bank shootingOn 8 April 2022, a Palestinian gunman entered a crowded bar in Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial capital, and opened fire, killing three people and wounding 10. This weekend, on the anniversary of that attack, an Arab-Israeli man rammed his car into pedestrians on the city’s seaside promenade, killing an Italian tourist and injuring seven more people.That attack followed a shooting earlier in the day in the north of the occupied West Bank that killed two British-Israeli sisters, aged 16 and 20, and left their 48-year-old mother in critical condition after their car veered off the road. Continue reading...

Lt Gen Serhiy Nayev, commander of Ukraine’s joint armed forces, announced the decision on social media

Shadow home secretary was not consulted about the widely criticised advert that claims Rishi Sunak did not believe in jailing child abusersThe shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, was not informed or consulted about the release of a widely criticised Labour advertisement that claims Rishi Sunak does not believe adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison, the Observer has been told.As several senior party figures distanced themselves from the poster that has caused a huge row within the party, Labour sources said that Cooper “had nothing to do with it” – despite being in overall charge of crime policy for Labour. Continue reading...

Visits comes two days after Middle Eastern powers met in China to restore relationsA Saudi delegation arrived in Tehran on Saturday to discuss reopening diplomatic missions with Iran after seven years.The visit comes two days after the unprecedented meeting between Iran and Saudi Arabia’s heads of diplomacy in China after the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic ties last month. Continue reading...

General secretary says vote against one-off bonus and 4.5% pay rise means strikes in summer term ‘could be’ on the cardsMinisters have been urged to return to the negotiating table to avoid extended teachers’ strikes in England this summer, after NASUWT members voted decisively to reject the pay deal being offered by the government.NASUWT is the fourth teaching union to reject the pay offer, with 87% of its members voting against acceptance. It follows similar rejections by the National Education Union (NEU), 98% of whose members voted against, as well as the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). Continue reading...

Police to deploy extra battalions in city centres as Benjamin Netanyahu also directs army to mobilise additional forcesIsrael began calling up police and army reservists on Saturday after separate attacks killed three people, including an Italian tourist and two British-Israeli sisters, in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.Despite appeals for restraint, violence has surged since Israeli police clashed with Palestinians inside Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque on Wednesday, with Israel bombarding Gaza and Lebanon in response to rocket fire by Palestinian militants. Continue reading...

Research reveals a private education is directly linked to holding rightwing views and voting Conservative in midlifeHaving a private school education means a person is twice as likely to become a loyal Conservative voter as someone with a state education, regardless of their wealth or class background, a new study has found.Researchers from University College London used data that tracked the lives of 6,917 British people born in the same week in 1970 to quantify how a private education affected their voting and attitudes. The team, led by Prof Richard Wiggins, established that being educated privately also made men and women 50% more likely to hold rightwing opinions. Continue reading...

Shadow attorney general admits some people ‘very uncomfortable’, while David Blunkett calls ad ‘deeply offensive’Emily Thornberry has defended a widely criticised Labour advert that claims Rishi Sunak does not think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison.Thornberry, the shadow attorney general, was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions on Friday if she believed that Sunak held such views, and replied : “If he believes that everyone responsible for child abuse should get a custodial sentence, why are so many not getting a custodial sentence? He is the prime minister and that is a legitimate question for the opposition to ask.” Continue reading...

Thousands unable to access their accounts on three Fridays in a row because of problemsCustomers are threatening to quit the Co-operative Bank after its mobile app stopped working for three Fridays in a row – it was down for the whole of last weekend – and then went down again within hours of the bank declaring it was fixed.The latest incident, which left thousands of customers effectively locked out of their accounts for about 48 hours, has, it seems, proved the final straw for some. Continue reading...

Country may be warmer than some Greek holiday destinations with Met Office warning of sunburn – but rain arrives on MondayWidespread sunshine and temperatures as high as 18C could make Easter Sunday the UK’s warmest day of the year so far.Forecasters said high pressure moving across the UK had “timed itself nicely”, with sunny weather expected over the bank holiday weekend. Continue reading...

Man, aged in his 40s, says he fought off the reptile by sticking his fingers in its eyesA man who was attacked by a crocodile in far north Queensland says he fought off the reptile by sticking his fingers in its eyes.The attack happened at Archer Point near Cooktown just before 1pm on Saturday. Continue reading...

Glass Lewis urges investors to vote against award, saying 20% hike unjustified given average 5% rise for staffMetro Bank is at risk of a shareholder rebellion over executive pay, after an influential investor advisory firm said the high street lender had failed to justify a “significant” 20% salary hike for top bosses.Glass Lewis – which helps shareholders including large pension funds and asset managers decide how to vote at annual general meetings – urged investors to vote against the bank’s remuneration report amid concerns over rising payouts for the chief executive, Daniel Frumkin, and the newly joined chief financial officer, James Hopkinson. Continue reading...

Italian tourist dies and Britons among injured after driver rams people near beach, Israeli officials reportAn Italian man has died and five other British and Italian tourists have been injured in an attack in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, the latest episode of violence after several days of rising tensions sparked fears of a broader conflagration in the region.The 30-year-old Italian died from a gunshot wound, Israel’s rescue service said on Friday night, the Jewish holy day. At the same time, Israeli police said a car had been driven into people near the beach, and that the driver had been shot and killed. Continue reading...

People with Disability Australia and Advocacy for Inclusion have called for Hanson to withdraw the video and apologise

NASUWT general secretary said ministers ‘not serious about compromising’ in last month’s talks

Guests will include more than 450 British Empire Medal recipients, many of whom helped in Covid lockdownsMore than 850 community and charity representatives have been invited to the coronation of King Charles III, mingling with the royals, heads of state, politicians, peers and diplomats at Westminster Abbey.Buckingham Palace has announced more than 450 recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM) will attend in recognition of the contributions made by volunteers and community champions across the country. Continue reading...

San Francisco police have not confirmed the circumstances of Bob Lee’s death nor arrested a suspectDetails of how the tech executive Bob Lee came to be fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco remained scant on Friday, as those who knew the Cash App founder mourn his death and others voiced frustration with public safety.San Francisco police found Lee, 43, on the sidewalk in front of a condominium building with stab wounds shortly after 2.35am on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Details about the attack remain thin; surveillance footage released this week reportedly shows Lee stumbling along a sidewalk and seeking help in the aftermath, but police have not confirmed the circumstances of the attack or arrested a suspect. Continue reading...

Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen visit China to urge Xi Jinping to use his influence; how Ukraine is bringing Bucha back to lifeEvery week we wrap up the must-reads from our coverage of the Ukraine war, from news and features to analysis, visual guides and opinion. Continue reading...

Mauled body of Andrea Papi, 26, found overnight after he failed to return from run near his villageA bear attacked and killed a jogger on a woodland path in north-east Italy, the first case of its kind, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.Andrea Papi, 26, was killed on Wednesday while out running in the mountainous region near his village, Caldes, in the Trentino region. His family raised the alarm when he failed to return and a search team found his body overnight. Continue reading...

Shadow ministers privately say they feel ‘uncomfortable’ over ‘distasteful’ ad amid calls for Keir Starmer to apologise

Sisters, believed to have migrated from the UK, died after car was shot at and crashed on FridayTwo sisters with British nationality have been killed and their mother seriously injured in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank, keeping the region on edge even as the situation on Israel’s borders appeared to ease after Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip overnight.The sisters were killed when their car crashed after it was shot at in the north of the territory on Friday, Israeli media reported. Local authorities said they were 16 and 20 years old, and their mother 48. The family have not yet been officially named due to a pause in some Israeli police procedures for the Jewish holy day, Shabbat. Continue reading...

Wall Street Journal reporter denies charges, while US Senate leaders issue bipartisan call for his releaseRussian Federal Security Service investigators have formally charged Evan Gershkovich with espionage but the Wall Street Journal reporter denied the charges and said he was working as a journalist, Russian news agencies reported on Friday.Russia’s Federal Security Service, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said on 30 March that it had detained Gershkovich in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg and had opened an espionage case against the 31-year-old for collecting what it said were state secrets about the military-industrial complex. Continue reading...

While many operators still ply the cross-Channel route, some businesses are focusing instead on domestic tripsIt was once the staple for group travel abroad, favoured by school trips and touring retirees alike, but it now looks like Britain could be falling out of love with the continental coach journey.Many are likely to have been put off for life by chaos at Dover, as people try to get away for the Easter holiday. An estimated 20,000 people got caught up in gridlock last weekend alone after delays in border processing that forced vehicles to queue for up to 14 hours. Continue reading...

Vocalist who had four UK No 1 singles with pop group recently announced he would be part of band reunionPaul Cattermole, the singer who found huge success with pop group S Club 7, has died aged 46.A statement from his family said he was found at home in Dorset on Thursday and pronounced dead later that day. No cause of death was given, but police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul. There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel. We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family and of the band at this time. Continue reading...

Move comes a day after widely-criticised attack on the PM, which suggested he did not think sexual abusers of children should be jailedThe former Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, said countless lives had been saved by the Good Friday agreement, as he addressed a ceremony at Stormont to mark the 25th anniversary of the peace deal.He said:The last 25 years have been up and down, and there have been many twists and turns, but one thing is for certain: we are all in a better place. Despite current challenges, the future is bright.If you doubt that, think of the countless lives that have been saved or reflect on events in other parts of the world at this time. We have a lot to be thankful for and we have a lot to do.In those days we made extraordinary progress, not least because we didn’t focus all the time on constitutions and institutions and procedures.What we did do was to try and deal with the disturbed historic relations between our communities and make sure we found ways of relating to each other. Continue reading...

Lucasfilm has announced three new live-action films, and confirmed the return of Ridley’s Rey to build ‘a new Jedi Order’Two new Star Wars films are to go into production, it has been announced, with more details revealed of a third to follow, as the series’ maker Lucasfilm appears to be close to ending the hiatus since the 2019 release of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy made the announcement at a Star Wars Celebration event at the ExCeL Centre in London. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Morrison government used risk assessment tool known as VERA-2R on 14 occasions after receiving independent report

James Paterson says regulatory barriers in US could imperil access to AI, hypersonic weapons and other advanced systems

Marcia Grant died after being hit by car in Greenhill area on Wednesday, South Yorkshire police saidA 12-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a “warm, loving and dedicated” social worker who was run over by her own car in Sheffield.Marcia Grant, 60, was killed when she was hit by the vehicle outside her home in the Greenhill area of the city at about 7.10pm on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Johnston Carmichael, which has produced party’s accounts for more than a decade, says it reviewed its client listThe accountancy firm that audits the Scottish National party’s accounts has resigned, adding to the party’s crisis following the police raid on the home of its former chief executive Peter Murrell.Murrell was arrested on Wednesday morning by police investigating the SNP’s finances. He was later released without charge pending further inquiries. Continue reading...

Nobel laureates would have lamented lack of NI government, say sons, as events mark 25 years since Good Friday agreement

While Tsai Ing-wen was visiting the US, her predecessor was in Beijing on a mission to bolster cross-strait relationsWhen Tsai Ing-wen’s presidential motorcade drove into the Ronald Reagan library grounds on Wednesday, opposing camps of protesters lined the road. Tsai, leader of the Republic of China – Taiwan’s formal name – was on her way to meet the third-highest-ranking official in the US, the House speaker, Kevin McCarthy.On one side was an eclectic mix of Taiwan’s US-based diaspora, Taiwan supporters, professed Chinese supporters of Tsai, and activists from Hong Kong and Tibet. On the other was a group that Christine Lu, a Taiwanese-American, described as “very coordinated”, and who were waving huge Chinese flags, and pro-Chinese Communist party and anti-Tsai placards. The groups soon came to blows and had to be separated by police. Continue reading...

Police treating blaze at block of flats in Beckton as arson after teenager died and five other people were injuredA 14-year-old girl was killed in a fire in east London that is now the subject of a murder investigation.A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder over Thursday’s fire in a block of flats in the borough of Newham. The incident is being treated as arson and the investigation is continuing. Continue reading...

The Guardian has calculated what each working royal has received during their working life carrying out official functionsThey include England’s most senior freemason, who is estimated to have received the equivalent of £18m for his royal duties; a princess who is 56th in line to the throne and lives in 1.6 hectares of grounds in Richmond Park – and a grace-and-favour apartment 12 miles away in St James’s Palace; and a duchess who previously lived in a 21-room apartment in Kensington Palace but has been moved to a cottage.Who are the UK’s working royals, where do they live, and what do they do, exactly? How much have they been paid for their participation in official royal engagements? Continue reading...

On one day alone Dylan Davies received 580 envelopes, in what a financial crime consultant suspects is VAT fraudThe sight of a brown envelope landing on the doormat has often been met with a weary groan, the sign of another bill that needs paying.However, few will have experienced the same horror as Dylan Davies, who received 11,000 tax bills – with none actually for him. Continue reading...

Rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon and second Israeli raid on al-Aqsa mosque stoke fears of further escalationIsraeli jets hit sites in Lebanon and Gaza early on Friday, in retaliation for rocket attacks it blamed on the Islamist group Hamas, as tensions following police raids on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem this week threatened to spiral out of control.Two explosions were heard in Gaza late on Thursday. It was not immediately clear what had been targeted but Israel said its jets hit targets including tunnels and weapons manufacturing sites of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the blockaded southern coastal strip. Continue reading...

Ferry operators expect bank holiday weekend to be busy with ‘large queues’ at entrance to Dover portHolidaymakers are facing up to 90-minute waits at the Port of Dover as the Easter getaway kicks off with congestion on the motorways and disruption on the rail network likely to deepen the chaos across the country.As the long holiday weekend began on Good Friday morning, large numbers of cars were arriving at the Kent port, but traffic was moving and ferries were sailing well. Continue reading...

Recent meetings in Beijing mark a return to the world stage but with that comes increased scrutiny

Warning comes ahead of US president Joe Biden’s much-anticipated visit to Belfast on Tuesday

Avengers actor apologises to family for snowplough accident that left him close to deathThe Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner has said he was at fault in a New Year’s Day snowplough accident that left him close to death and apologised to his family for putting them through the ordeal.Renner, in an interview on Walt Disney Co’s ABC network on Thursday, said he was driving the snowplough after using it to pull one of the family’s trucks out of the snow. Continue reading...

Pest numbers are booming and the annual cull has been called off, forcing one rural council to look at other ways to control the rabbit boomIn New Zealand, Easter is usually a time for killing rabbits. But, faced with a ban on the annual slaughter this year, one region is hoping to deploy a deadly virus instead.Wild rabbits are considered a serious pest in New Zealand, particularly in rural areas, with major impact on agriculture and native landscapes. In parts of the South Island, the boom is reaching “plague” proportions, a spokesperson for Otago regional council (ORC) said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

AirMedpatient transfer plane forced into emergency landing in Brisbane rail corridor with cause unknown

Israeli army says salvo fired from Lebanese territory, after officers entered religious compound to remove worshippersRocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon and a second Israeli police raid on Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque in as many nights have stoked fears of further escalation in the region during a sensitive period of overlapping religious holidays.On Thursday afternoon, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the biggest salvo of rockets since the 2006 war had been fired from Lebanese territory into northern Israel. Most of the 34 projectiles were intercepted, but there were two minor injuries and a fire. Continue reading...

Biden administration releases review saying president’s options were ‘severely constrained’ by decisions of predecessorThe US government has released a review of the chaotic 2021 troop withdrawal from Afghanistan which largely lays the blame on Donald Trump, saying President Joe Biden was “severely constrained” by the decisions of his predecessor.The White House on Thursday publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the US policies around the ending of the nation’s longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions. The administration said most of the after-action reviews, which were transmitted privately to Congress, were highly classified and would not be released. Continue reading...

Met Office says weather could turn by bank holiday Monday as rain is forecastEaster Sunday has been tipped to be the warmest day of the year so far in the UK, with highs of up to 18C (64.4F) expected in parts of Britain.The Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said there would be “plenty of fine weather” on Good Friday with a frosty start in places but sunny skies for the vast majority. Continue reading...

Woman in her 60s was struck and killed by vehicle in Greenhill area of cityPolice are questioning a 12-year-old boy on suspicion of murder after a woman in her 60s was struck and killed by a car in a “tragic” incident in Sheffield.Officers were called to the Greenhill area of the city at about 7.10pm on Wednesday after receiving reports that a woman had been hit by a vehicle, South Yorkshire police said. Continue reading...

Hundreds of job ads include perk in attempt to attract younger staff prioritising work-life balanceHundreds of UK companies are resorting to a new tactic to lure and retain workers from Generation Z amid one of the most competitive jobs market in decades – an early finish on Fridays.The weekend extension is part of efforts to compete for younger staff who are prioritising work-life balance after the Covid pandemic upended priorities and encouraged employers to embrace flexible working. Continue reading...