‘Once-in-a-generation’ exhibition will show 22 of his paintings for first time in BritainTwenty-two paintings by the influential post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne that have never before been seen in the UK will go on show in a “once-in-a-generation exhibition” at Tate Modern in the autumn.They include the acclaimed Still Life With Fruit Dish, on loan from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which confirmed Cézanne’s reputation as one of the most important modern European artists. Continue reading...

The Old Vic theatre says its much-anticipated production of 4000 Miles, co-starring Eileen Atkins, will no longer go aheadIt was one of London’s hottest theatre tickets for 2020: a Pulitzer-nominated play with the enticing pairing of actors Timothée Chalamet and Eileen Atkins. But just over two years after Amy Herzog’s drama 4000 Miles had been scheduled to have its first performance at the Old Vic, the long-postponed production has finally been cancelled.A message from Chalamet, Atkins and the Old Vic’s artistic director, Matthew Warchus, was emailed to ticket bookers on Thursday morning. “Despite an enormous amount of effort from all involved, we have now sadly and reluctantly concluded that we are unable to reschedule the show at a time possible for everyone involved,” it stated. Continue reading...

Land to be repurposed for military use in one of the biggest expulsion decisions since 1967 occupationAfter a two-decade legal battle, Israel’s high court has ruled that about 1,000 Palestinians can be evicted from an area of the West Bank and the land repurposed for Israeli military use, in one of the single biggest expulsion decisions since the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories began in 1967.About 3,000 hectares of Masafer Yatta, a rural area of the south Hebron hills under full Israeli control and home to several small Palestinian villages, was designated as a “firing zone” by the Israeli state in the 1980s, to be used for military exercises, in which the presence of civilians is prohibited. Continue reading...

Broadcaster proposes almost doubling staff outside capital and becoming ‘northern-based’Channel 4 has said it could sell its £100m London headquarters and almost double the number of staff working outside the capital, to become “northern-based” under a plan it hopes offers an attractive alternative to the government’s privatisation push.Describing itself in the proposals as the “levelling up broadcaster”, it said it intended to increase spending on TV shows commissioned by production companies outside of London by hundreds of millions of pounds annually by 2030, in a move it estimated would create at least 3,000 jobs. Continue reading...

Chief constable issues swift denial after Emily Spurrell becomes first PCC to call her area’s force institutionally racistA police and crime commissioner (PCC) has become the first to call her area’s force “institutionally racist”, a statement quickly followed by a categorical rebuttal from the chief constable.In a roundtable discussion between three elected PCCs on Policing TV’s Talking Crime programme, Emily Spurrell, the Merseyside commissioner, was asked if she accepted that Merseyside police were institutionally racist. Continue reading...

Russian and Ukrainian forces remain engaged in ‘bloody battles’ inside Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol as 344 more people are evacuated

Chancellor considered rise of more than 3.1% but was told he could only do it ‘once a year’ due to 40-year-old system

Women’s movements have fought hard to reverse anti-abortion laws in their countries and say it’s not the end for the USReproductive rights activists across Latin America have vowed to protect hard-fought gains in their own territories as they brace for potential ripple effects if the US supreme court overturns Row vs Wade – the 1973 ruling which guarantees the right to abortion.Latin America has some of the most draconian anti-abortion laws in the world. But feminist movements have fought for decades to chip away at the prohibitions, and in recent years a younger, diverse generation of activists has mobilized in massive numbers to help clinch a string of victories in traditionally conservative countries. Continue reading...

Bronnie Taylor says government accepts there is a ‘need to do more’ and will pore over 44 recommendations

In election debate, Labor’s Brendan O’Connor says defence minister’s line of attack on China is for his own political purposes

Josh Frydenberg debates Kooyong challenger Monique Ryan; at least 56 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Plane returns to Heathrow after ‘rostering error’ meant first officer didn’t meet Virgin Atlantic protocolsA Virgin Atlantic aircraft turned back to Heathrow after it emerged the first officer had not completed his final flying test.The Airbus A330 jet was nearly 40 minutes into its journey to New York on Monday when the two pilots on board became aware of the “rostering error”, the airline said. Continue reading...

Roberts-Smith’s former comrade admits failing to provide to court an email with marked-up pictures of Afghanistan compound, despite subpoena

The hip-hop star, whose music career ended in the late 1980s, stabbed a homeless man, John Jolly, with a steak knifeKidd Creole, a member of foundational hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for manslaughter, after stabbing a homeless man in New York City.The rapper, real name Nathaniel Glover, 62, was convicted of the crime last month. Prosecutors said that Glover killed John Jolly, 55, with a steak knife after the two engaged in conversation; Glover’s defence was that he felt intimidated by Jolly, who, it is alleged, asked Glover “what’s up?” in a threatening manner. Continue reading...

Trevor Evans defends use of quotes from registered charities despite inclusion potentially breaching political advocacy rules

Bernie Finn’s Facebook post came after the leak of draft decision suggesting US supreme court may overturn Roe v Wade

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogDaniel Boffey reports for us from Brussels on the contents of Ursula von der Leyen’s speech to the European parliament:The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has been detailing her proposal to the member states on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, which includes a total ban on oil imports.

Woman the 10th survivor of the disaster, in which at least five people perished after a six-storey building in Changsha caved inRescuers in central China have pulled a woman alive from the rubble of a building that partially collapsed almost six days earlier, state media reported Thursday.The unidentified woman is the 10th survivor of the disaster in the city of Changsha, in which at least five people have died and an unknown number, possibly dozens, are still missing. Continue reading...

Mining giant also apologises for bullying culture at annual shareholder meeting

Labor leader eventually handed briefing notes from an advisor after struggling to list party’s six-point plan

Covid pandemic and invasion of Ukraine have brought sudden halt to years of flourishing business in Calabrian town of ScaleaThe services listed on the billboard outside Rotondaro Costruzioni, an estate agency and builder, are written in Italian and Russian, as are the details of the properties advertised for sale in the window display.Inside, about a dozen thick red folders, filled with plastic envelopes containing details of customers dating back to 2010, spill out of a cabinet. The majority of those property buyers were Russian. A short distance away is a stretch of Italy’s southern Calabrian coastline lapped by clear-blue sea. This is not the glitzy Costa Smeralda in Sardinia or Tuscany’s Forte dei Marmi, where lavish villas and yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs have been seized over the last two months, but Scalea, a low-profile holiday resort with a medieval hilltop village whose economy has flourished over the past decade, partly thanks to the ordinary Russians who flocked here for the cheap property and sunshine. Continue reading...

Each week we ask experts to break down a political advertisement: who are the candidates trying to reach, and are they succeeding?

Marcus Stewart says current timeframe of Yoorrook Justice Commission not enough to ‘unpack 200-plus years of colonisation’

Issues include understaffing, poor access to services and discrimination towards First Nations people seeking medical help

ALP will benefit in Braddon and Lyons and will preference JLN Senate candidate Tammy Tyrrell

Emergency services were called to the scene in Brunswick at around 5.20am on ThursdayTwo men have died after being stabbed in Melbourne in the early hours of Thursday morning.A woman was arrested on a tram in Carlton after two men were fatally stabbed on Hope Street in Brunswick. Continue reading...

Muslim group say coroner’s decision to include gunman’s social media activity in investigation a ‘landmark moment for the accountability of digital platforms’The online activities of the Australian white supremacist who opened fire on two New Zealand mosques – and how much of a role social media and internet platforms played in his radicalisation – will form part of a coroner’s inquiry into the deaths of 51 Muslim worshipers in the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack.But the presiding coroner, Brigitte Windley, who announced the scope of her inquiry in a decision released on Thursday, has warned of “monumental hurdles” to exploring the terrorist’s online activities – including Brenton Tarrant’s attempts to wipe parts of his digital footprint before committing the attacks. Continue reading...

Policies encouraging property investment have fuelled soaring debt ratio to create ‘big potential problem’, researcher warns

Foreign minister Ann Linde spoke after meeting with US secretary of state Anthony BlinkenSweden has received assurances from the US that it would receive support during the period a potential application to join Nato is processed by the 30 nations in the alliance, foreign minister Ann Linde said in Washington on Wednesday.Sweden and neighbour Finland stayed out of Nato during the cold war, but Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its invasion of Ukraine have led the countries to rethink their security policies, with Nato membership looking increasingly likely. Continue reading...

Judge rejects prosecutors’ claim that Andrew Fahie, arrested in DEA drug sting, could flee US if freed from prisonThe premier of the British Virgin Islands, whom US prosecutors described in court as “corrupt to the core”, has been given a $500,000 bond that would allow him to be released from prison as he awaits trial on charges tied to a US narcotics sting.Federal court judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes rejected prosecutors’ argument that Andrew Fahie would flee the US and possibly engage in criminal activity if he is freed. Continue reading...

Tory candidates ask voters not to punish them for ‘mistakes’ in Westminster in wake of PartygateHundreds of Tories are distancing themselves from Boris Johnson by standing as “Local Conservatives” in Thursday’s council elections, with rebel MPs saying they will gauge support over the weekend for a move against the prime minister.Election leaflets seen by the Guardian show local candidates across England playing down their Tory affiliations, eschewing pictures of Johnson and styling themselves as “Local Conservative” on voting ballot papers. Continue reading...

The judge in Edinburgh described the murder as ‘truly evil’, and the child’s mother said she will fight to ensure Lukasz Czapla ‘never leaves prison’A father who killed his two-year-old son after discovering that his mother was in a new relationship has been jailed for life.Lukasz Czapla, 41, was unanimously found guilty of the murder of Julius Czapla and was ordered to spend a minimum of 23 years behind bars. Continue reading...

Opposition also pledges to defend Australian Human Rights Commission with return to merit-based appointments

Opposition leader Matthew Guy previously argued treaty negotiations should occur at national level

Victoria’s treasurer, Tim Pallas, says government will standardise construction contracts and set up register of projects

Angela Rayner says Tory candidates at the local elections ‘are trying to hide from their own government’s record’. This live blog is closed – please follow this one for updates on the war in Ukraine

Slovakia also wants exemption despite Ursula von der Leyen saying crude must be prohibited in EU within six months

MEPs refuse to sign off Frontex’s accounts and call for access to inquiry into alleged harassment and misconductThe European parliament has refused to sign off the EU border agency’s accounts, saying it had failed to investigate alleged human rights violations of asylum seekers in Greece.The vote on the agency, Frontex, came after the resignation last week of its director, Fabrice Leggeri, who left after an investigation by Olaf, the EU’s anti-fraud body. Continue reading...

Accountancy firm extends its flexible-work ‘deal’ to woo staff after popular trial last summerPricewaterhouseCoopers has told its accountants and other staff they can finish work early on Fridays over the summer, becoming the latest company to offer flexible work incentives to try to keep employees happy and compete for talent.The accountancy firm has written to its 22,000 UK staff and told them they can knock off at lunchtime on Fridays between 1 June and 31 August, assuming they get their work done. It expects the majority of employees to benefit from this. Continue reading...

Ferdinand Marcos Jr leads polls despite father’s dictatorship and energetic opposition campaignThe colour they are clad in is an unmissable shade of fuchsia pink. They walk the streets across the Philippines, waving banners along the way and stopping anyone who will listen.Many are young or first-time voters, and some travel for hours to join campaign teams. For them, next week’s election is a make-or-break moment for their country. Continue reading...

Blue Argentina No 10 jersey kept by England player Steve Hodge beats mark set by 1892 Olympic manifestoThe shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored twice – including the “hand of God” goal – to knock England out of the 1986 World Cup has sold for a record-breaking sum at auction.The Argentinian described his opening goal in the quarter-final as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. For his second he dribbled past a host of England players and beat Peter Shilton to score what would later be voted the goal of the century. Continue reading...

Ferdinando Sciabarrà, recently declared owner of part of limestone landmark, now wants to sellSicily’s famed cascading limestone cliff may not be the obvious choice for the next takeover bid by the world’s richest man, but one Italian man is hoping for such an eventuality.Part of the island’s Turkish Steps is being readied for sale, with a call to Elon Musk to buy it. Continue reading...

Home Office granted right to live in UK through tier 1 scheme to 46 people aged 21 or under, FoI request reveals

Women’s wing calls to remain ‘militarily non-aligned’ before Sweden and Finland decide on membershipThe first signs of a backlash to a possible Swedish application to join Nato have emerged within the ruling Social Democrats, at the start of a critical month in which Sweden and neighbouring Finland are expected to move rapidly towards a decision.Sweden is due to publish a security policy assessment report by 13 May, two-weeks earlier than planned, which will involve representatives of all parties in Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag. Continue reading...

Former police officer appeals against prison sentence for kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah EverardWayne Couzens deserves “decades in jail” but not a whole-life order, his barrister has told a court in the former police officer’s appeal against his prison sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.Jim Sturman QC, for Couzens, said the sentencing judge’s finding that the former police officer was not remorseful was “untenable”. Continue reading...

Cities to mark occasion without usual displays out of consideration for former soldiers with PTSDFor the first time, cities across Israel have scrapped fireworks displays that normally mark the country’s Independence Day out of consideration for military veterans and others with post-traumatic stress disorder.Parties and celebrations that begin on Wednesday evening in more than a dozen cities, including Tel Aviv, will not be accompanied by the cracks and bangs of fireworks. Israeli authorities in Jerusalem have opted instead for a silent pyrotechnic show. Continue reading...

Sanctions on accountancy, consultancy and PR advice will not come into force for several weeks

Flagship show audience down 80% after launch and rating agency detects ‘zero viewers’ for other key slotsRupert Murdoch’s talkTV television channel has been rated as having “zero viewers” during primetime broadcasts, as the new television channel struggles to attract an audience despite signing up Piers Morgan as a presenter.The News Desk, the channel’s hour-long political show hosted by Tom Newton Dunn, did not register a single viewer for half of its Tuesday evening broadcast. Although this does not rule out the possibility that some people were watching somewhere in the UK, it means the television audience was so small that it was not picked up by official rating agency, the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board. Continue reading...

Exclusive: exercises are to prepare China for the possibility of similar embargoes from the US and its alliesConcerned about sweeping Russia-style sanctions from the west, Beijing has ordered a comprehensive “stress test” to study the implications of a similar scenario for its economy, the Guardian has learned.According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, an extensive exercise began around late February and early March when western allies imposed unprecedented sanctions against Moscow. Several key Chinese government agencies – from banking regulation to international trade – have been asked to come up with responses if the west imposed the same embargos on to China. Continue reading...