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Tim Davie suggests more stations could become archive services, as he prepares to announce deep cutsThe BBC will cut the number of programmes it makes and consider turning more television and radio stations into archive services, according to the corporation’s director general.Tim Davie is preparing to announce deep cuts to BBC output in the coming weeks, with staff nervously wondering whether their programmes or channels will be axed. The corporation estimates it needs to find another £285m in annual savings as a result of government-imposed cuts to its budget. Continue reading...

Party criticised for appointing MP – now a convicted sex offender – as adviser on child exploitationA survivor of the Rotherham child abuse grooming scandal has condemned the Conservatives for appointing an MP who is now a convicted sex offender as an adviser on child exploitation after being questioned under caution.Sammy Woodhouse said it was “gut-wrenching” that her fellow contributor to a Home Office expert panel, Imran Ahmad Khan, had already been questioned by police about the assault of a 15-year-old boy when they served together on a Home Office panel. Continue reading...

Russia halts gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria; Volodymyr Zelenskiy accuses Moscow of seeking to destabilise Moldova region

DJ has stepped down from Capital Xtra show until further notice, says station’s owner, Global RadioThe DJ Tim Westwood has “stepped down from his show” on Capital Xtra until further notice, following allegations of sexual misconduct made about him by multiple women.The day after the former BBC Radio 1 DJ was accused by seven women of misusing his position in the music industry to take advantage of them, a spokesperson for Global Radio, Capital Xtra’s parent company, said the station and the DJ were parting ways. Continue reading...

Anti-Slapp directive would also enable EU states to refuse to recognise judgments passed in UKThe EU executive has proposed measures to protect journalists and campaigners working to expose corruption and wrongdoing from vexatious lawsuits.In the first proposal of its kind in Europe, the European Commission is targeting so-called “strategic lawsuits against public participation”, or Slapps, where wealthy individuals and companies attempt to use the law to intimidate or silence investigative reporters and non-governmental organisations. Continue reading...

Female Tory MPs complain about sexism in parliament after claims a senior colleague was watching porn on his phone

CBI’s April figures show worst cost of living squeeze since 1950s is starting to affect consumer spendingRetail sales in the UK have slumped in April as hard-pressed households reined in their spending amid the soaring cost of living, according to an industry snapshot.The figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) found retailers experienced a rapid decline in sales volumes, in a month when consumers faced soaring gas and electricity bills, record fuel prices and a sharp increase in the cost of the weekly shop. Continue reading...

Charity Freedom from Torture says it has ‘serious concerns’ about lawfulness of policyPriti Patel’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is facing its first legal challenge after a charity instructed lawyers to demand the disclosure of documents because of fears the policy is contrary to international law.In a pre-action letter to the Home Office, which is expected to lead to a judicial review claim, the solicitors Leigh Day stated that the charity Freedom from Torture “has serious concerns about the lawfulness of the policy”. Continue reading...

Proceeds of sale of rarely seen art works by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne to go to Musée d’OrsayA private collection of rarely seen sculptures by the French artists Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne is to go on sale to pay for an extension to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.Daniel Marchesseau, a close friend of the sculptors for 50 years, agreed to part with the works as part of a €5m (£4.2m) gift to create an annexe for the archiving and research of 19th-century art. Continue reading...

Family of the 19-year-old, who died in 2017, say her mental and physical health declined after she reported being rapedThe family of Dorset teenager Gaia Pope has told an inquest jury that her mental and physical health deteriorated and she became “lost in fear and self-doubt” after she reported she had been raped at the age of 16.Relatives revealed the “joyful” girl they knew slipped away at times after she told police about the alleged rape, which led to an investigation but no charge. Continue reading...

‘Rolling Thunder’ rally’s organizer denies event is a protest but prominent anti-vaccine figure is advertised as a ‘special guest’Ottawa’s police chief has vowed to stop an upcoming biker rally from reaching the city’s downtown core as residents brace for a potential rerun of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” anti-government protests that paralyzed the Canadian capital earlier in the year.Thousands of bikers are expected to arrive in Ottawa on Friday for the “Rolling Thunder” rally purportedly called in honour of military veterans. Continue reading...

Labour deputy says comments are ‘mortifying and hurtful’, as Mail on Sunday rebuffs Speaker’s request to meet

Bank warns of more loan defaults amid cost of living crisis as it reports 14% fall in first-quarter pre-tax profitLloyds Banking Group has raised concerns over the UK economy’s “uncertain” outlook, warning the cost of living crisis had already forced customers to cut spending on services such as streaming and gyms and could mean more defaults on its loans.Lloyds, the country’s largest mortgage lender and considered a bellwether for the UK economy, said that while it did not have direct exposure to Russia, the war in Ukraine was affecting customers through higher energy and commodity prices, as well as supply chain disruption. Continue reading...

Independent reviewer of terror laws says staffing cuts in England and Wales jails have exacerbated problemSome terrorists in prison enjoy status and celebrity among their fellow inmates amid a culture of fear and violence in jails in England and Wales that is being exacerbated by staffing cuts, an official review has concluded.Jonathan Hall QC, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, found that a pecking order of terror offenders can develop, based on the notoriety or charm of an extremist prisoner that means they may be held in high esteem by fellow inmates. Continue reading...

Witness charged with obstructing, hindering and resisting a commonwealth official

Queensland premier describes former AWU boss as ‘one of Australia’s greatest union leaders’Former union official and Labor powerbroker Bill Ludwig OAM has died aged 87.Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the passing of the Labor heavyweight on social media. Continue reading...

Two resign citing UK ministers’ failure to repeal hostile environment legislationTwo members of the Windrush cross-government working group have resigned, citing unhappiness with ministers’ response to the Windrush scandal.Bishop Joe Aldred, and Arike Oke, who represented the Black Cultural Archives (BCA), informed the government last year that they were leaving the group. The Home Office has only this month published the new, smaller membership list, revealing it has shrunk from nine to seven people. Continue reading...

With talk of a bidding war between Sydney and Brisbane, former Maroons skipper suggests MCG host the season decider

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogDetails are scant, but there are reports that the ministry of internal affairs in Transnistria says that two radio antenna that relayed Russian radio have been destroyed in Transnistria, the breakaway eastern region of Moldova.Reuters quotes the ministry saying: “In the early morning of 26 April, two explosions occurred in the village of Maiac, Grigoriopol district: the first at 6.40 and the second at 7.05” Continue reading...

The Empress by Tanika Gupta among new additions in attempt to diversify AQA’s offering for drama students in EnglandDrama students will have the opportunity to study a more diverse curriculum at GCSE and A-level with the addition of four new plays by writers of colour.AQA, the biggest examination board in England, says the texts are part of a range of measures to update and revise its qualifications to ensure they better reflect the diversity of students and their teachers. Continue reading...

Planned new guidelines say online posts could be scrutinised by the General Medical CouncilDoctors who share “misleading” information on social media could face regulatory action, according to planned new guidelines.Posts made on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are among those that could be scrutinised by the General Medical Council (GMC) if a doctor is reported. Continue reading...

Aerial artist spectacle is planned alongside singers including Cliff Richard and Shirley BasseyThe fox puppet Basil Brush and singers Ed Sheeran and Sir Cliff Richard are among “national treasures” to feature in the platinum jubilee People’s Pageant carnival finale involving more than 10,000 people during the June bank holiday, organisers said.Against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace on Sunday 5 June, highlights will include puppet corgis and a giant 3D bust of the Queen, with television audiences across the globe expected to run into hundreds of millions. Continue reading...

Santa Fe sheriff releases files on death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on film set last OctoberNewly released footage shows the actor Alec Baldwin repeatedly practising drawing his revolver on the set of Rust on the same day a live round was discharged from the gun that killed the film’s cinematographer and injured its director.Other footage includes the chaotic scenes shortly after the shooting, with officers trying to secure the scene – a church – after first treating the injured. Continue reading...

President calls meeting amid fears Transnistria – controlled by pro-Russia separatists – could be drawn into Ukraine war

Airlines cancel flights amid higher fuel costs, Ukraine war and expected fourth pandemic waveHeathrow airport has warned it expects a drop-off in passenger numbers after a summer surge, with airlines already cancelling services into the autumn amid higher fuel costs, war in Ukraine and an expected fourth Covid wave.The airport’s total pandemic losses have topped £4bn, but passenger numbers have started to recover after the UK government lifted travel restrictions. Heathrow said 9.7 million passengers passed through the airport in the first three months of the year, 8 million more than a year earlier, with many heading to destinations in North America and Europe. Continue reading...

UK minister says Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil that hit supplies and disrupt logistics are ‘completely legitimate’

Charges related to incidents in 2015 and 2016 in which Buswell assaulted Melissa Hankinson multiple times

Defence minister tells meeting of military leaders that government has agreed to sign off delivery

Queensland senator Matt Canavan adds to uncertainty about Coalition climate commitments; foreign minister accuses Labor of ‘playing politics’ on national security after Penny Wong criticises Scott Morrison for ‘refusing to take responsibility in Pacific’; at least 50 Covid deaths as WA to ease mask mandate in some settings. Follow the latest updates live

Yoorrook commission will establish official record of Indigenous experiences since colonisation

Request for reimbursement from Kerry Stokes’s private company not made until after court told of network’s legal financing

Labour deputy says article was ‘steeped in classism’ that puts women off achieving in their careers

Sales of sunflower oil up 27% as Britons become aware of shortage arising from Ukraine warUK shoppers have begun to stockpile some essentials such as cooking oil as grocery price inflation hits it highest level in more than a decade in April.Supermarket shoppers were preparing for limited availability of some goods along with higher prices, as the war in Ukraine increased public awareness of supply pressures and prices rose, according to the latest survey by the market analyst Kantar. Continue reading...

Leader vows to boost nuclear arsenal primarily as deterrent but also against forces that try to ‘violate’ interests of nationNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to move faster in bolstering his nuclear forces and threatened to use them if provoked in a speech during a military parade that featured powerful weapons systems that could be used to target the country’s rivals.His remarks suggest he will continue provocative weapons tests in a pressure campaign to wrest concessions from the US and its allies. The parade on Monday night was to mark the 90th anniversary of North Korea’s army – the backbone of the Kim family’s authoritarian rule – and was held as the country’s economy is battered by pandemic-related difficulties, punishing US-led sanctions and its own mismanagement. Continue reading...

António Guterres to meet Putin and Lavrov but Kyiv says he should have come to Ukraine first

Ex-soldier known as Person 5 denies allegation put by lawyers acting for newspapers

Treasury document says inconsistencies within the system have led to motorist confusionThe impact of Sydney’s road tolls on spiralling cost of living pressures will be examined as part of a New South Wales government review into the city’s patchwork network, dubbed “tollmania” by the opposition.A NSW Treasury document said that inconsistencies within the vast system had led to motorist confusion and the road network not functioning optimally.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

James Heappey says it is ‘completely legitimate’ for Kyiv to identify targets in Russia to disrupt attacks

As part of industrial action, teachers also allowed to walk off school grounds when any state government MP visits

Charity vows to ‘ensure it never happens again’ after Karen Hayes featured in ads praising treasurer as an ‘amazing supporter’

Exclusive: See where the parties are pitching their digital campaigns – from the Liberals’ Why I love Australia to Labor’s WA focus and Clive Palmer’s blitz

Senior civil servant expected to be critical of Boris Johnson when findings about Westminster lockdown parties are publishedSue Gray expects to complete her report into Covid law-breaking parties across Westminster at the end of May at the earliest, the Guardian has been told.Sources said that the senior civil servant, who for months has been forced to sit on her findings about illegal gatherings while Scotland Yard carries out its own inquiry, believes the police investigation could drag on for several more weeks. Continue reading...

Exclusive: world’s biggest streaming service has announced crackdown after first fall in customers in a decadeMore than a quarter of British Netflix subscribers allow their friends and family to use their accounts, with at least 17m homes estimated to be password sharing across the embattled streaming platform’s biggest markets in Europe.Netflix announced plans to crack down on the practice as one of a number of strategic moves designed to stem investor panic after it had more than $60bn (£47bn) wiped off its market value last week when it reported its first loss of subscribers in a decade. Continue reading...

Ukraine dismisses as scare tactic Sergei Lavrov’s war comments as diplomats from dozens of countries gather in Germany for US-hosted talks to navigate ‘critical’ phase

Man in silver BMW allegedly fires single shot at two women in Adelaide Street, Carina

Official denies Marvel film is banned but says kingdom ‘still trying’ to get Disney to cut 12 seconds referring to lesbian character with two mothersSaudi Arabia has asked Disney to cut “LGBTQ references” from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before it can be screened in the kingdom, an official said on Monday – but denied earlier reports that the film has been banned.Disney has so far declined the requested edits to the Doctor Strange sequel, slated for release around the world next week. The cuts amount to “barely 12 seconds” in which a lesbian character, America Chavez, played by the actor Xochitl Gomez, refers to her “two moms”, according to Nawaf Alsabhan, Saudi Arabia’s general supervisor of cinema classification. Continue reading...

Felipe renounced inheritance from his father, Juan Carlos, who abdicated after financial scandalsSpain’s royal palace has unveiled King Felipe VI’s personal wealth for the first time, saying it amounted to €2.6m (£2.2m).The announcement late on Monday came as Spain’s leftist government said it would pass a decree to “strengthen the transparency, accountability, efficiency” of the scandal-hit royal household “in line with the principles that have presided” during Felipe’s reign. Continue reading...

Lords signalled they are prepared to send bills back to Commons even at 11th hour before local electionsMPs and peers are set for some late nights over the next few days as government and opposition race to complete six bills in time for parliament to be prorogued by the end of this week.Though the House of Commons leader, Mark Spencer, said business would conclude by Thursday – which would give MPs next week to get some shoe leather on the pavements ahead of the local elections – the Lords may have other ideas. Continue reading...

Exclusive: pharmacists say they should be allowed more easily to dispense substitute medicinesSajid Javid is being urged to change the law to let pharmacists alter prescriptions during medicine shortages, as it emerged that some women are travelling hundreds of miles to seek hormone replacement therapy products.There have been acute shortages of some HRT products, which are used by about 1 million women in the UK to treat symptoms of the menopause. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Simon Case and at least four permanent secretaries raise alarm over Johnson government’s tacticsThe UK’s top civil servant has privately warned Boris Johnson against forcing government workers back to the office amid growing anger in Whitehall over “scare tactics”, the Guardian has learned.Alongside Simon Case, at least four permanent secretaries – the most senior civil servants in their department – are also understood to have raised alarm over government rhetoric designed to reverse the shift to working-from-home arrangements during the Covid pandemic. Continue reading...