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Report says people often find online groups more informative than underfunded traditional mediaLocal Facebook groups have supplanted local newspapers as the default source of information in many British towns, according to a report into so-called “news deserts”.The catastrophic financial collapse of the local news industry over the last two decades has destroyed the business model of local newspapers, according to the Charitable Journalism Project. Although consumers sometimes described these Facebook groups using terms such as “toxic” and “racist”, many said they provided more up-to-the-minute information than their local newspaper. Continue reading...

Private-rentals white paper includes clampdown on unfit homes and outlaw of landlord bans on ‘DSS tenants’Measures to tackle unscrupulous private landlords who evict tenants without giving a reason or who let unsafe homes, will be introduced under government proposals aimed at giving a better deal for millions of renters in England.The centrepiece of the fairer private-rented sector white paper, published by the government on Thursday, is the outlawing of “no-fault” evictions – currently the biggest single cause of homelessness in England. Continue reading...

After ruling by Strasbourg court, No 10 refuses to rule out withdrawing from European convention on human rightsPriti Patel was accused by Labour of overseeing a “shambles” and participating in a “government by gimmick” after the 11th-hour cancellation of the first plane carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda.The home secretary disclosed that some cancelled Rwandan flight passengers will be released into the community wearing tags, as she promised to continue to pursue the policy of outsourcing refugees to the east African state. Continue reading...

Minister appeals for people to cut their consumption by one or two cups a day to save on importsA minister in Pakistan’s newly elected government has been criticised after appealing to the nation to drink less tea to help save on imports amid a deepening economic crisis.Pakistan is among the world’s top tea importers, and the brew is hugely popular among rich and poor. The typical Pakistani is believed to drink at least three cups a day on average. Continue reading...

Pencil cases, skirts and hats among items targeted for ‘contradicting Islamic faith and public morals’Saudi officials have been seizing rainbow-coloured toys and clothing from shops in the capital as part of a crackdown on homosexuality, state media has reported.The kingdom opened to tourism in 2019 but, like other Gulf countries, it is frequently criticised for its human rights record, including its outlawing of homosexuality, a potential capital offence. Continue reading...

Leroy Junior Medford died in 2017 after ingesting drugs in cell, in incident force says was ‘tragic and avoidable’Thames Valley police have apologised to the family of a 43-year-old man who died in custody after ingesting heroin in his cell more than five years ago, saying his death was “tragic and avoidable”.Leroy Junior Medford – known to family and friends as Junior – died on 2 April 2017 at Loddon Valley police station in Reading, more than 15 hours after being arrested on suspicion of assault. Continue reading...

Prime minister says UK government will provide any support needed after journalist’s disappearance in AmazonBoris Johnson has said the UK government is “deeply concerned” about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the British journalist Dom Phillips, after Theresa May called on the prime minister to make the case “a diplomatic priority”.May raised Phillips’s case during prime minister’s questions, citing correspondence with Phillips’ niece Dominique Davis, one of her constituents. Johnson said the UK had offered to provide support to Brazilian search teams looking for Phillips and his travelling partner, Bruno Pereira, an Indigenous expert. Continue reading...

Labour leader says PM is spouting nonsense, telling people ‘they’ve never had it so good’, in bad-tempered PMQs

Xi Jinping signs trial order allowing ‘military operations other than war’ beyond China’s bordersChina’s president, Xi Jinping, has signed legal orders allowing a trial of military operations beyond China’s borders amid heightened tensions over claims by China’s foreign ministry that the Taiwan Strait is Chinese territorial water.Official state media reports published this week were light on detail but said Xi had signed orders announcing trial outlines on “military operations other than war”. It said the trials would begin on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Shoppers air frustration at UK fast-fashion retailer’s failure to honour refunds after falling into insolvencyCustomers of the collapsed fast fashion retailer Missguided will not receive refunds for returns, administrators of the business have confirmed.It comes after the Manchester-based company fell into insolvency last month after racking up millions of pounds in outstanding payments to creditors. Continue reading...

Painting, based on black and white photograph, was last exhibited in 1965 when it was part of a triptychA Francis Bacon portrait of Lucian Freud not seen in public since it was first exhibited 57 years ago is to be auctioned with an estimated price of more than £35m.Sotheby’s on Wednesday announced what is believed to be the most valuable contemporary work to be offered in London in almost a decade. Continue reading...

Scotland’s constitution secretary says date provides ample time to pass necessary legislation for voteNicola Sturgeon plans to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence in October next year if her government secures the legal approval to stage it.Angus Robertson, the Scottish government’s constitution secretary, said that provided ample time to pass the necessary legislation, set out the Scottish National party’s case and stage a campaign. Continue reading...

Paul Erickson speaks at National Press Club; Bowen says energy system ‘under pressure’; AEC says it will not conduct a recount in federal seat of Gilmore; foreign affairs minister’s first trip to Solomon Islands since security deal with China; Victoria records 18 Covid deaths, NSW records 14. This blog is now closed

Experts say spread of misinformation and use of encrypted services drives far-right extremists and racism

Thérèse Coffey is ‘sure’ government will appeal against European court of human rights decision

Officers served with gross misconduct notices after black schoolgirl searched without another adult presentFour Metropolitan police officers are being investigated for gross misconduct after a 15-year-old black schoolgirl was strip-searched while at school.The teenager, referred to as Child Q, was strip-searched by female Met officers in 2020 after she was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis at her east London school. Continue reading...

Newly elected Victorian convener Linda Gale co-authored a 2019 document described as ‘inconsistent with Greens values’

Rock star pictured climbing into car from wheelchair after leaving hospital in Los AngelesOzzy Osbourne is “on the road to recovery” following surgery earlier this week, according to wife Sharon Osbourne.In a message on social media, she wrote: “Our family would like to express so much gratitude for the overwhelming amount of love and support leading up to Ozzy’s surgery! Ozzy is doing well and on the road to recovery! Your love means the world to him.” Continue reading...

Whitelock’s Ale House, along with 1856-built Prince Alfred in Maida Vale, awarded extra protectionAn 18th-century pub described by the poet laureate John Betjeman as the “very heart of Leeds” has been awarded Grade II*-listed status as part of a drive to protect historic drinking houses across the country.Whitelock’s Ale House, Leeds’ oldest pub, dates back more than 300 years. Originally called the Turk’s Head, it served merchants and traders at the nearby Briggate market. Continue reading...

Mother of three Roberta called police multiple times in the days before her death but they did little to intervene, magistrate says

Survey across 10 European countries and UK shows respondents favouring an end to the conflict rather than holding Russia accountable

Victoria and Oleksiy Manoylo, who were in Milan when Russia invaded, have poured their trauma into gardenA burnt-out cottage decorated with embroidered cloths and surrounded by swaying barley, designed by a Ukrainian couple unable to return to their war-ravaged village, is set to be one of the unexpected highlights of the RHS’s largest flower show.Victoria and Oleksiy Manoylo, landscape designers who were at a garden festival in Milan, Italy, when Russian troops invaded their village near Bucha and destroyed their home, have poured their trauma and defiance into the garden, which will feature at the RHS Hampton Court Palace garden festival next month. Continue reading...

After a thrilling penalty shootout win over Peru, the Socceroos are booked once more for sports’ biggest partyAustralia have done it again. With a low save to his right to deny Peru’s Alex Valera from the penalty spot, dancing goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne secured cult hero status, launched quite a few memes and booked the Socceroos’ place at the 2022 World Cup.The win against the more fancied Peru clinched a fifth consecutive berth at sport’s biggest party, 16 years after the Socceroos ended decades in the men’s football wilderness with a similarly heart-stopping win on penalties against Uruguay. Continue reading...

Conflicting reports emerge over Heard’s role in superhero franchise after defamation trial brought against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp

The national minimum wage will lift by 5.2%, with the commission noting a ‘sharp increase in the cost of living’

Zelenskiy says outcome of battle for Donbas will determine course of the war; Russia calls on Ukrainian forces in Sievierodonetsk to lay down arms

Union says long queues and baggage delays will continue until workers’ conditions are protected through federal regulation

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereThe UK’s foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has refused to be drawn on whether she would negotiate directly with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic over the situation of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner. The two British men have been sentenced to death in eastern Ukraine by what Truss called a “sham trial”. She told listeners of the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme:The two people were fighting for the Ukrainian army. They were permanently located in Ukraine and they are prisoners of war. And the case is being taken up by the Ukrainians, by the Ukrainian foreign minister.I am doing everything I can, in the best way I can, in the way that I judge is most effective, to deliver these people’s release.These people are prisoners of war, fighting for the Ukrainian army. And it’s important to maintain that principle. And the Russian proxies are violating the Geneva Convention. And we need to be very, very clear about that.That’s why the best route is through the Ukrainians, and I can’t go into the details of my discussions with the Ukrainians, but I can assure you, and I can assure the families, that we’re working flat out on this.Crews of ground attack aviation launched rocket air strikes on military facilities and equipment of units of the armed forces of Ukraine. Missile launches were carried out in pairs from low altitudes. As a result of the combat use of aviation weapons, camouflaged fortified field positions and armoured vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed, you can the full story on the government’s failed first deportation flight hereYou can watch the Sturgeon press conference here.Sturgeon is now taking questions. Continue reading...

Health secretary says emergency departments remain under significant pressure due to high Covid-19 and flu cases

Johnny Mercer criticised ministry’s operations as he tried to prevent prosecutions for alleged offences in conflictThe former veterans minister Johnny Mercer has lifted the lid on the toxic atmosphere in Boris Johnson’s government, saying ministers’ behaviour “would have got [you] punched in the mouth” if displayed in the army.Mercer, who resigned from the role last year in a row over the treatment of soldiers who served in Northern Ireland, said the Ministry of Defence was not a “professional working environment” and his fellow ministers had treated him as a “dope on a rope”. Continue reading...

In letter sent to every trust in England, charity says standard masks create serious communication barrier for deaf patientsThe National Deaf Children’s Society has written to every NHS trust in England urging them to start using transparent face masks because standard ones create a “serious communication barrier” for deaf patients.The letters, co-signed by the British Academy of Audiology, said deaf patients could “miss vital information about their health” as opaque masks make lip reading impossible and facial expressions difficult to read. Continue reading...

Employees walk off the job amid anger over statements criticising the former Funai employee who went missing with Dom PhillipsEmployees with Brazil’s national Indigenous foundation (Funai) have launched a one-day strike, amid anger over what they say is the dismantling of a key government agency and official statements criticising Bruno Pereira, the former Funai employee who went missing along with the British journalist Dom Phillips last week.Funai staff and related civil service employees walked off the job at 9am on Tuesday in Brasília, Florianópolis and Dourados, and others are voting on whether to launch a wider strike next week, officials with the unions said. Continue reading...

Advocates call for a leaders’ meeting to coordinate support for people displaced by floods, pandemic and soaring house prices

Noise meters will be deployed to confirm ‘acoustically stressed’ areas where action will be takenBarcelona’s streets and plazas have long been home to a raucous cacophony of restaurant patios, buskers and throngs of residents and tourists. Now the city is on a mission to find out just how noisy these spaces can get, with the installation of sound level monitors in 11 areas.“It’s an absolute priority,” said Eloi Badia, the Barcelona city councillor for climate emergency and ecological transition. “Noise pollution – with all of its sleep disorders, pathologies and stress – is one of the most important public health issues we have in the city, second only to air pollution.” Continue reading...

Campaigners says uplift falls way short of inflation and only applies to youngest childrenThe government is to increase the funding rate for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) by just 7p per pupil, it was announced on Tuesday, a move immediately branded “inadequate” by the sector.Following an outcry over the government’s new food strategy, which did not include the hoped for expansion of free school meals, the education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, announced that funding for free school meals for all pupils in reception, year 1, and year 2, would go up from £2.34 to £2.41. Continue reading...

‘Mentally exhausted’ expected deportees launched last-minute legal bids to avoid removal from UKAn Albanian asylum seeker and suspected victim of trafficking has told the Guardian he is in a “very bad mental state” as he expects to board a deportation flight to Rwanda, a country of which he knows “nothing”.The 26-year-old Albanian man is one of seven asylum seekers who have launched last-minute legal challenges to avoid being forcibly flown to the east African country. Continue reading...

Military figures and MPs on list along with staff from most major British newspapers and broadcastersRussia has banned 29 members of the British media, including five Guardian journalists, from entering the country, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.Moscow said the sweeping action was a response to western sanctions and the “spreading of false information about Russia”, as well as “anti-Russian actions of the British government”. Continue reading...

Alex Wood and Alison Tilsley were with four other people when vessel overturned in lakePolice have named two care home residents who died after a boat capsized in a Devon lake.Alex Wood, 43, and Alison Tilsley, 63, known as Ali, were on the vessel with four other people when it overturned in Roadford Lake near Okehampton last Wednesday. Continue reading...

Labour leader urges colleagues to focus on returning to government, after a string of negative storiesKeir Starmer has urged his shadow cabinet to stop briefing the press that he is boring, warning them: “What’s boring is being in opposition.”Stung by a series of negative stories about his leadership, Starmer angrily urged colleagues at Tuesday’s shadow cabinet meeting to focus on the job in hand, telling them it was “boring” to undermine Labour’s project of getting back into government. Continue reading...

TSSA demanding a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies this year and pay increase reflecting inflationA second rail union is balloting Network Rail members for industrial action, in a move that could stop train services entirely in a co-ordinated strike this summer.The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union announced that its 6,000 members, in managerial and control roles for railway infrastructure, will vote later this month on whether to strike. Continue reading...

Media freedom groups say New York Times reporter’s verdict reflects press clampdown as election loomsMedia freedom campaigners have criticised the conviction of a journalist in Zimbabwe for allegedly breaking immigration laws, describing the decision as “a monumental travesty of justice” that raises concerns for the press in the lead-up to elections next year.Jeffrey Moyo, a freelance correspondent for the New York Times, was given a suspended prison sentence of five years and fined $615 by a court in Bulawayo after being found guilty on Tuesday of helping to obtain press accreditation needed by two reporters from his news organisation to enter Zimbabwe. Continue reading...

Netherlands court convicts father’s Austrian helper and ‘disciple’A Dutch court on Tuesday sentenced an Austrian man to three years’ imprisonment for his involvement in illegally detaining six children held for years and isolated from the outside world by their father at a remote farmhouse in the Netherlands.The case made headlines around the world when it was discovered in October 2019 that father had been living for years with six of his children in the farmhouse in the village of Ruinerwold in the eastern Netherlands. Their plight only came to light when one of the sons left the building and raised the alarm. Continue reading...

Hans Island ‘whisky war’ – described by some as a ‘pseudo-confrontation’ – ends after formal division agreedIt has been described by some as a “pseudo-confrontation”, by others as a diplomatic afterthought. Now, however, the so-called “whisky war”, which was never really a conflict at all, has finally been resolved with the formal division of a tiny barren Arctic island between Canada and Denmark.Sitting in the Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait between the north-western coast of the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland and Canada’s Ellesmere Island, the uninhabited half-mile-square Hans Island has no mineral resources nor much else of interest unless you are a visiting sea bird. Continue reading...

Filippo Grandi says foreign secretary was wrong to claim critics hadn’t offered alternativesLiz Truss has been accused by the UN’s refugee chief of making “untrue” statements after claiming that critics of the UK government’s Rwandan removals policy have failed to come up with alternative policies.Filippo Grandi, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, said the foreign secretary was wrong because the UN has offered “many, many suggestions” instead of sending people to the east African state which “violates the fundamental principles of refugees”. Continue reading...

James Watts was serving with West Mercia police in 2020 when he shared ‘grossly offensive’ material in group chatA former police constable has been jailed for 20 weeks after sending a string of racist WhatsApp memes, including images that mocked the death of George Floyd.James Watts was serving with West Mercia police in 2020 when he shared the “grossly offensive” material in a group chat, which included former colleagues at a Warwickshire prison. Continue reading...

The celebrity faces backlash after attending the Met Gala last month sporting the gown in which Monroe serenaded President KennedyA Marilyn Monroe collector has claimed that “permanent damage” has been inflicted by Kim Kardashian on the iconic dress Monroe wore to serenade John F Kennedy on his 45th birthday, shortly before the actor’s death.Kardashian wore the gown to the Met Gala last month; photographs taken in the last week by Scott Fortner, a collector who works to authenticate and verify Monroe memorabilia, appeared to show stretched and buckled fabric and missing crystals on the back of the dress. Continue reading...

Philip Lowe says he is confident inflation can be brought back to 2-3% target range ‘but it’s going to take time’