Last group of Ukrainian soldiers in Azovstal steelworks surrendered, Russia’s defence ministry said late Friday

Plant was last part of Mariupol in Ukrainian hands; Gazprom will suspend gas sales to Finland from Saturday. This blog is now closed

Prescribing rules relaxed to tackle ongoing shortage after some women have travelled across the country to access medicinesPharmacists will be allowed to offer alternative hormone replacement therapy products if the original prescription is out of stock, under new rules aimed at tackling the ongoing shortage.The relaxing of normal prescribing rules, announced by the government’s HRT supply taskforce, comes amid shortages of HRT products that have left some women travelling across the country to access medicines. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary Liz Truss wants to protect the country south-west of Ukraine from RussiaLiz Truss, the foreign secretary, has disclosed that the UK has begun discussions with its international allies about sending modern weaponry to Moldova to protect it from Russia.She said that she wants to see the country, which is to the south-west of Ukraine, “equipped to Nato standard.” Continue reading...

The virus has been found in an ‘atypical’ spread in several countries as well as in the United States, Canada and AustraliaA top European health official has warned that cases of the rare monkeypox virus could accelerate in the coming months, as the virus spread across Europe.Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said that “as we enter the summer season … with mass gatherings, festivals and parties, I am concerned that transmission could accelerate”. Continue reading...

New Mexico still battling US’s biggest wildfire as blazes test fire crews in Texas and ColoradoExpanding drought conditions, coupled with hot and dry weather, extreme wind and unstable atmospheric conditions, have led to explosive fire behavior in the south-western US, federal officials warned on Friday.The warning came as a huge wildfire, currently the largest in the US, continued to burn across New Mexico on Friday, as fire crews also battled blazes in Texas and Colorado. Continue reading...

Sturgeon tweeted she had been experiencing mild symptoms on Friday eveningNicola Sturgeon has tested positive for Covid-19.The Scottish first minister tweeted she had been experiencing mild symptoms on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Mariupol, city of resistance, falls … underground life of the last child in the village … Putin micromanaging conflict, sources in west believeEvery 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...

An estimated 119,000 people are on multiyear waits for social housing as federal and state governments deliver mixed responses

The Australian Electoral Commission estimates about 440,000 new citizens will cast a vote in 2022

Both the Coalition and Labor have pledged billions to swing electorates with more than 1,000 election promises made during the campaign

Most children ages five to 11 are still unvaccinated and new coronavirus strains are expected by fallRising coronavirus infections and hospitalizations across the US are spurring fears of an uncertain summer amid new calls for children to be vaccinated.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now recommended a vaccine booster for children aged five to 11 after an advisory panel voted to back them, despite some experts disagreeing that they are necessary at this stage. Continue reading...

Small number of BA.4 and BA.5 cases identified but data suggests ‘growth advantage’ over dominant BA.2Two types of the Omicron known as BA.4 and BA.5 have been labelled as variants of concern in the UK after new evidence on their growth, officials have revealed.The wave of Omicron that hit the UK over the winter involved a form of the virus known as BA.1, with the sub-lineage BA.2 driving a subsequent wave in spring 2022. Continue reading...

Man with background in rightwing extremism accused of attacking woman with machete and threatening to kill herA woman who said she was terrorised by an MI5 agent with a background in rightwing extremism is taking legal action against the security service.Beth, not her real name, claimed the man, her former partner, attacked her with a machete and threatened to kill her. Continue reading...

Office for Students calls for effective support services after Bristol University found guilty of failings over Natasha Abrahart’s suicideUniversities could face “immense difficulties” in adjusting their teaching and learning support for students with hidden or emerging disabilities, after a landmark ruling awarded £50,000 in damages to the estate of a student after her suicide.A judge ruled that the University of Bristol failed to make adjustments to how it assessed Natasha Abrahart’s academic work, leading to her suicide in 2018 while in the second year of an undergraduate physics degree. Continue reading...

Willer was taken in by the Labour leader and future prime minister after fleeing Germany following KristallnachtA refugee who fled the Nazis and was quietly taken in by the family of Clement Attlee in the run-up to the second world war, has died.Paul Willer, 94, escaped Germany in 1939 with his Jewish mother and brother after being sponsored by the then Labour leader. Continue reading...

New 50-page plan will avoid admitting institutional racism which critics say could doom promised reformsPolice chiefs will declare they are “ashamed” about racism remaining in law enforcement, and apologise for the “discrimination and bias” still plaguing forces in a new race plan launching next week.The plan from National Police Chiefs Council and College of Policing will avoid admitting institutional racism, which critics brand a failure which could doom the promised reforms. Continue reading...

Intense fighting reported around Severodonetsk in the Donbas; Russia plans to change law to scrap age limit for soldiers

PM notified before publication next week, as an ex-civil service chief says ‘real issue’ is the No 10 leadershipBoris Johnson is among dozens of No 10 officials warned by Sue Gray they are facing criticism in her Partygate report next week, as a former civil service chief said the “real issue” was the leadership of the prime minister and his cabinet secretary, Simon Case.Johnson is one of 20 to 30 current and former staffers who have been notified by letter that accounts of their conduct will feature in her final report on the lockdown-busting parties. This is now likely to be published next week after Scotland Yard handed out 126 fixed-penalty notices to people from No 10, including one for Johnson but many for more junior staff. Continue reading...

The 1969 Fender Mustang, on display in Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, is expected to have a starting price of over $600,000The electric guitar played by Kurt Cobain in the Smells Like Teen Spirit music video will be put up for sale this weekend by Julien’s Auctions.Speaking about the 1969 Fender Mustang during his final interview with Guitar World, Cobain said: “I’m left-handed, and it’s not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars. But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I’ve only owned two of them.” Continue reading...

Refusing a boss’s request may harm relationship and cause employee to take legal action, according to expertJunior civil servants who did not want to attend lockdown-breaching parties held at 10 Downing Street risked being forced to take legal action and put their careers in jeopardy, a senior employment lawyer has said.The law expects people to stand up for themselves, experts have said, with employees largely expected to comply with their bosses. Whistleblowing legislation is rarely used because people are worried about repercussions. Continue reading...

Auction houses are recording a boom in sales after a return to pre-pandemic levels of supplies of worksAs a straight return on investment, it’s hard to beat “Untitled”, a 1982 work by Jean-Michel Basquiat, the African American street artist who became a global cultural icon, featuring a horned African mask on an abstract background across a canvas almost 5m wide.In 2004, the painting sold for $4.5m. Back on the market 12 years later, it fetched $57.3m, then a record for a Basquiat. This week, it went under the hammer in New York for $85m (£68m), including fees, to a buyer from Asia. Continue reading...

Parents of Natasha Abrahart argued Bristol failed to make allowances for their daughter’s severe anxietyA leading university discriminated against a talented physics student who suffered from severe social anxiety and took her own life before a “terrifying” oral exam, a senior judge has ruled.The University of Bristol was ordered to pay more than £50,000 in damages to the parents of undergraduate Natasha Abrahart after a landmark civil trial that will have significant implications for other higher education institutions.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

PC Craig Walker says he performed CPR after officers realised Bayoh was unconsciousA police officer involved in the arrest of Sheku Bayoh has told the inquiry into his death in custody that he heard one of Bayoh’s ribs break as he attempted to resuscitate him.PC Craig Walker, who the inquiry heard weighed 25st (158kg) at the time of the incident in Kirkcaldy in May 2015, said he performed CPR after he and two other officers who were trying to restrain Bayoh on the ground realised that he was unconscious. Continue reading...

Legislation would allow recruitment of older professionals as military faces infantry shortage

197 children have been diagnosed with the acute illness this year, with 11 needing a liver transplantDoctors believe an unusual outbreak of acute hepatitis among children may have peaked in the UK, as work continues to understand the cause of the mysterious illness.Figures released on Friday by the UK Health Security Agency show that 197 children have been diagnosed with unexplained acute hepatitis this year, with 11 becoming so ill they needed a liver transplant. None in the UK have died. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Politicians accuse China of organising a ‘Potemkin-style tour’ for Michelle BacheletA group of 40 politicians from 18 countries have told the UN high commissioner for human rights that she risks causing lasting damage to the credibility of her office if she goes ahead with a visit to China’s Xinjiang region next week.Michelle Bachelet is scheduled to visit Kashgar and Ürümqi in Xinjiang during her trip, which starts on Monday. Human rights organisations say China has forced an estimated 1 million or more people into internment camps and prisons in the region. The US and a number of other western countries have described China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority living there as genocidal, a charge Beijing calls the “lie of the century”. Continue reading...

Magazines, production lines and consumer choices suffer as isolation from the west bites

Russian forces thought to be trying to cut one of the main supply routes to Ukrainian defenders in the area

New movie set in 80s US and starring Succession star Jeremy Strong with Jessica Chastain as Donald Trump’s sister, traces fault lines of political and social division back to Reagan eraA new film set in 1980s New York, in which Donald Trump’s property mogul father, Fred, and high-achieving lawyer sister Maryanne appear as characters is a direct attack on late-stage capitalism, according to its principal cast and director.Armageddon Time, which is premiering at the Cannes film festival and stars Succession’s Jeremy Strong alongside Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain as Maryanne Trump, in a cameo, is set during the run-up to the election of Ronald Reagan as president and examines the layers of privilege that determine the future of children attending different schools in the same city. Continue reading...

Forty-two hunger strikers are part of group of 89 Sri Lankans whose boat was intercepted in Indian Ocean by UK militaryDozens of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have been detained for more than seven months in a military base on an overseas territory claimed by Britain have gone on hunger strike in despair at their plight.The 42 hunger strikers are part of a group of 89 Sri Lankans, including 20 children, whose boat was intercepted and escorted to Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean by the British military after running into distress while apparently headed to Canada from India in October. Continue reading...

Pitch Perfect star says in interview that the incident occurred before #MeToo and the outpour of similar storiesRebel Wilson has claimed that a male co-star sexually harassed her.In an interview with People, the Pitch Perfect and Cats star had said that the incident occurred before #MeToo and the outpour of similar stories.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Long gap until next set of hearings into undercover policing scandal criticised by victims of surveillanceWomen who were deceived into intimate relationships with undercover police officers have said it is “beyond belief” they will have to wait a further two years for the public inquiry into the undercover policing scandal to hold any further public hearings.The slow-moving inquiry is scheduled to complete its current round of hearings on Friday and is not due to question any further witnesses in public until spring 2024. Continue reading...

Millions set for summer of cheap travel on all modes of transport with scheme to aid cost of living crisisMillions of Germans are expected to take advantage of a summer of cheaper travel from next month under government plans to boost public transport use and give financial relief to consumers facing a cost of living crisis.A €9 a month ticket scheme is to be introduced from 1 June allowing travel on all modes of city and regional transport. A different ticket will apply for each region and it will be available for three months until the end of August. Continue reading...

People poke fun at the lawyers, but there are serious concerns about how the law deals with everyone being a publisherThe Wagatha Christie libel trial opened with a cry of despair from Coleen Rooney’s barrister: “This whole court might just think: why on earth are we here?”After almost two weeks of court hearings, it was a question that many of those who took part or watched – including Rebekah Vardy, Coleen Rooney, two former England footballers, dozens of journalists, and the judge Mrs Justice Steyn – might have asked themselves at some point. (In reality the lawyers involved may have been content to be there, knowing they are set to share hundreds of thousands of pounds in fees.) Continue reading...

Teenager from Darlington thought to be youngest person in UK charged with terrorism offencesA teenager who downloaded guides to making bombs, and is thought to be the youngest person in the UK charged with terrorism offences, has not been given a custodial custody after being sentenced to three 12-month referral orders to run concurrently.The UK’s chief magistrate, Judge Paul Goldspring, sitting at Newton Aycliffe youth court in County Durham, said if the 14-year-old boy had been an adult, he would be facing a jail sentence of up to five years. Continue reading...

Department for Education ordered workers to spend 80% of their time in the office leading to ‘chaotic’ conditionsDowning Street’s demands that civil servants get back to the office has backfired for the Department for Education, where desk shortages have resulted in staff being sent home and others forced to work in “chaotic” conditions.Officials working in cramped corridors or sharing desks have led to protests from civil service unions to Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, who last month ordered an end to working from home after pressure from the efficiency minister Jacob Rees-Mogg. Continue reading...

Scheme to pay farmers for nature stewardship is seen by some as one of the few positive Brexit dividendsThe government’s plans to pay farmers for their stewardship of nature could be delayed or scrapped, it is feared, as hard-right Tory MPs join the campaign against the environmental land management scheme (Elms).The rollout of Elms, seen by some as one of the few positive Brexit dividends, is due to begin this year, with more standards beginning incrementally between 2023 and 2025. Continue reading...

Samantha Morton and Cathy Tyson praise the inspirational Band of Gold writer, who died on SundayThe actors Samantha Morton and Cathy Tyson have paid tribute to the late Kay Mellor, calling her a “fighter, a warrior woman and an insanely talented” writer and director.Mellor, who died on Sunday aged 71, wrote numerous TV shows over a 30-year career including Band of Gold in 1995. The series revolved around a group of sex workers who lived and worked in Bradford’s red-light district, and starred a teenage Morton alongside Geraldine James, Cathy Tyson and Barbara Dickson. Continue reading...

Proposals for east-west train route across London, first mooted in 1974, inspired by Paris RER1974 – A study for the government and London recommends a first scheme, known as Crossrail, and inspired by the Paris RER.1989 – A second study, for British Rail, proposes fresh Crossrail plans for east-west trains under London. Continue reading...

Roy Morgan poll puts Labor ahead; Greens hopeful of picking up Senate seats; eligibility for telephone voting formally changed; health authorities give monkeypox update ; Julia Gillard says Labor would be ‘a government for women’; at least 52 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Johnson campaigned for UK to remain in EU in 2016 but has since expressed support for BrexitThe prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, has secured French citizenship, according to reports.French officials reportedly told the AFP news agency that Johnson, 81, whose mother was French, obtained French nationality on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Firm has had three recent takeover approaches, while property tycoon Nick Candy may also make move

Chancellor becomes first frontline politician in Sunday Times rankings – days after telling people ‘next few months will be tough’Rishi Sunak has become the first frontline politician to be ranked among the nation’s wealthiest people – only days after the chancellor warned consumers that “the next few months will be tough” as the cost of living squeeze intensifies.Sunak, a former hedge fund manager, and his Indian heiress wife, Akshata Murty, were named on the Sunday Times rich list as the 222nd wealthiest people in the UK, with a combined £730m fortune. Continue reading...

Auditor general says state agencies forked out close to $200m on faulty imported masks and ventilators

Deputy PM says there should be transparency about who breached Covid rules in civil servant’s report

Woman known as JC told Dawson’s murder trial she felt obliged to move in with him and had wanted to return to her life as a 17-year-old

Nine-strong team led by close Biden ally will visit Brussels, Dublin and London in significant intervention on division over NI protocolOne of Joe Biden’s closest allies is due to arrive in London on Saturday as part of an influential US congressional delegation seeking to calm tensions over Northern Ireland.The nine-strong delegation includes Democratic and Republican delegates from the House of Representatives and Senate including members of the powerful ways and means committee chaired by Richard Neal, who will lead the group. Continue reading...

Nimco Ali says call for public sexual harassment of women to be made a crime has received ‘pushback’The UK government’s independent adviser on tackling violence against women and girls has suggested her calls for street harassment to be made a crime are being blocked.Nimco Ali, a close friend of Boris and Carrie Johnson, told the BBC’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson that her proposal had experienced “pushback” while hinting the prime minister had not fully supported it. Continue reading...