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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...

Following publication of the opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade, the court’s views on abortion are under extreme scrutinyWith Roe v Wade on the brink of defeat, following the leak of a supreme court opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito and signed by four other conservative judges, the court’s views – and track record – on abortion are under extreme scrutiny. Here’s what the nine justices have actually said over the years about it. Continue reading...

Moscow steps up missile strikes on key infrastructure as flow of western weapons becomes focus of war

Exclusive: ideas include reducing trial safeguards and allowing startups to harvest patient dataA list of radical ideas for transforming the NHS, including lifting safeguards blocking startups’ access to patient data, and nurses being incentivised to help speed trials, was privately drawn up by drug and healthcare companies in talks with senior No 10 advisers.The proposals, which can be revealed after a freedom of information request, emerged in private roundtables convened by a taskforce appointed by Boris Johnson to generate ideas for cutting supposed red tape after Brexit. Continue reading...

Tunnelled section of £19bn project through centre of London finally ready for passengersLondon’s Elizabeth line is to open on 24 May, it has been announced, with the long-delayed tunnelled central section of the £19bn Crossrail project now ready for passengers.Transport for London (TfL) said the line would open, subject to final safety approvals, the week prior to the Queen’s jubilee celebrations. Continue reading...

Leader accused of holding region to ransom with vow not to revive power sharing until Brexit protocol is ditchedThe Democratic Unionist party is under mounting pressure to accept the result of Northern Ireland’s assembly election even if, as polls suggest, Sinn Féin emerges as the biggest party.In a televised party leaders’ debate on Tuesday night, Jeffrey Donaldson faced criticism over his threat to paralyse the formation of a new executive at Stormont after the election on Thursday. Continue reading...

Pact with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise is attempt to deprive Emmanuel Macron of majority in parliamentFrance’s Socialist party and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party have reached an agreement in principle to form an alliance for June’s parliamentary election.The coalition pact, which the Greens and Communists agreed to earlier this week, is an attempt to deprive Emmanuel Macron of a majority in parliament and block his pro-business agenda after he was re-elected president in April. Continue reading...

Pope told nurse she had been target of inappropriate behaviour from male patient but no referral madeThe Dorset teenager Gaia Pope, who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she was allegedly drugged and raped, was sexually harassed while being treated on a mixed psychiatric ward, an inquest jury has heard.Pope informed staff that a male patient on the ward at St Ann’s hospital in Poole made explicit sexual comments and suggestions and tried to hug her but jurors were told that no safeguarding referral was made. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Early results from ‘applied mindfulness’ courses suggests they have helped overcome despair that little can be doneBrussels officials are being trained to meditate to help them tackle the climate crisis as part of a new wave of “applied mindfulness” that seeks to take the Buddhism-inspired practice “off the cushion” and into hard politics.EU officials working on the 27-country bloc’s green deal climate policy are attending “inner green deal” courses intended to foster a deeper connection among decision-makers and negotiators tasked with tackling the crisis. The courses incorporate woodland walks near Brussels and meditation sessions, including one that invites participants to feel empathy for trees and animals to boost “environmental compassion”. Continue reading...

German prosecutor says investigators are sure Christian Brückner killed three-year-old and have ‘new facts’Fresh evidence has been found against the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a German prosecutor has revealed.Hans Christian Wolters said in an interview on Portuguese television that investigators believed they had found “some facts, some new evidence, not forensic evidence.” Continue reading...

Incident raises further questions over comedian safety after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at OscarsThe comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked during a performance in Los Angeles, according to witnesses and videos of the incident posted online.Footage showed someone running on stage and tackling Chappelle during his performance at the Netflix Is a Joke festival at Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night. The incident took place as the comedian was closing the show and thanking earlier performers including Chris Rock, Leslie Jones and Jon Stewart. Continue reading...

Fogo Island will lose its only full-time physician in June, leaving the community to journey six hours away to find careFor more than two centuries, residents of a remote Canadian island in the north Atlantic knew they could count on a nearby doctor for relief of most ailments.But this June, Fogo Island will lose the community’s only full-time physician, a trend mirrored in many of Newfoundland’s towns and villages as the region battles economic decline and a looming demographic crisis. The closest doctor will be a six-hour ferry ride away, subject to the vagaries of powerful maritime storms. Continue reading...

Jim Chalmers accuses Josh Frydenberg of lying about tax as treasurer and shadow treasurer pressed on NDIS in debate; Coalition ‘oblivious’ to pressures facing working families, Albanese says; border force won’t confirm reports of asylum seekers moved to Christmas Island; at least 56 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Former Ferrari boss Amedeo Felisa will take over as chief executive of British carmakerAston Martin has appointed its third chief executive in three years, with Tobias Moers stepping down after only two years in charge.Moers will leave the board of the British carmaker with immediate effect but will stay until the end of July to “support the leadership team with a smooth transition”, Aston Martin Lagonda announced. Continue reading...

Australian PM insists he wants positive relationship, while Manasseh Sogavare says use of ‘back yard’ to describe country is offensive

Det Sgt Wayne Dean says on two occasions he shared tickets given to him by the alleged underworld figure with other officers

The painter, film-maker and Mulka Project founder died on Sunday, leaving behind a legacy of boundary-pushing art and an archive of cultural knowledgeThe art world is mourning the loss of one of Australia’s most respected First Nations artists, Mr Wanambi, with one of his mentees saying “his passing has changed our entire landscape”.The Yolngu painter, film-maker and curator died in Darwin on Sunday, more than 1,000km from his home in north-eastern Arnhem Land. He was just 59 years old. His family have requested his first name and image not be published.Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

Australian Border Force confirms 12 detainees, including one refugee, had visas revoked under Migration Act on character grounds

Police investigation will look at whether the man wore a helmet, as growing popularity of e-scooters prompts new regulations

Airline fails to overturn ruling that it unlawfully outsourced almost 1,700 jobs in part to avoid industrial action

Exclusive: Move by Swedish firm, the UK’s leading buy now, pay later company, will begin on 1 JuneThe buy now, pay later company Klarna will start reporting UK customer debts to credit agencies for the first time next month, in a move that could affect shoppers’ credit ratings from 2023.The move is understood to be the result of two years of talks with the credit reference companies Experian and TransUnion, and comes as buy now, pay later (BNPL) firms face pressure from MPs and campaigners who say they should prevent customers from taking on more debt than they can afford. Continue reading...

Objects never before seen outside Japan will be part of show on site’s similarities to Jōmon monumentsThey were separated by thousands of miles and the two sets of builders could not conceivably have met or swapped notes, but intriguing parallels between Stonehenge and Japanese stone circles are to be highlighted in an exhibition at the monument on Salisbury Plain.The exhibition will show that ancient people in southern Britain and in Japan took great trouble to build stone circles, appear to have celebrated the passage of the sun and felt moved to come together for festivals or rituals. Continue reading...

Russia continued attacks on east Ukraine as head of British armed forces criticises ‘shocking intelligence failures’ in Putin’s military campaign

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogMark Voyger is an expert on transatlantic relationships at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a former special adviser to the US army. He has been interviewed on Sky News in the UK this morning, and told viewers that the virtual address by the UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson to the Ukrainian parliament will be seen as a significant moment of support. He told viewers:It is absolutely important and critical for Ukraine to see this massive international support being demonstrated in these difficult times. Obviously, we’ve already had multiple high- level visits, including the UN general secretary, and from the European Union’s leadership, the US.So this is a clear sign to not only the government, but the Ukrainian people, that the west is ready to do what is necessary to help them achieve victory.Volatile regions are only those that are not members of Nato. The history of those conflicts shows that Russia attacks effectively non-Nato members – that is Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine. It hasn’t dared to touch any an inch of Nato territory yet.I must say Vladimir Putin with his arrogant aggressive policies in the region has achieved the miracle really of convincing even the Swedes to forego their 300 plus years of neutrality. So I expect them to get fast tracked into Nato. This is a historical chance for them.12 enemy attacks were successfully repelled on the front line of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Six tanks, five artillery systems, 22 units of armoured combat vehicles and eight motor vehicles were destroyed. Air defence units shot down five unmanned aircrafts guided by remote control Orlan-10. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says 156 people managed to escape Mariupol while Red Cross says many are still trapped at steelworks

Amber Heard’s attorneys demanded judge dismiss defamation case but Judge Penney Azcarate ruled trial will proceed

Labor, which has promised to establish a national anti-corruption commission ‘with teeth’, says the PM’s comments show his ‘true colours are emerging now’

Office of Independent Ajudicator received more than 1,000 complaints in England and Wales related to pandemic measuresUniversity students’ complaints about the Covid pandemic disrupting their studies led to more than 1,000 appeals to the higher education watchdog in England and Wales last year.The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) received a record 2,763 appeals from students unhappy at the way their complaints had been handled by their universities in 2021. More than a thousand of those were related to the effects of campus Covid measures, treble the number in the first year of the pandemic. Continue reading...

Details of emails released in Good Law Project challenge to awarding of contracts to Abingdon Health for antibody testsCivil servants described the government’s Covid testing programme as “unlegit” and “no way to do business” in emails revealed in a high court challenge to the awarding of up to £85m in contracts for antibody tests.The campaigning organisation Good Law Project (GLP) is challenging the health and social care secretary, claiming the contracts with Abingdon Health, a medium-sized UK firm, were unlawful because they were not advertised nor open to competition, and the correct procurement process was bypassed. Continue reading...

Salangy’s brothers were also convicted alongside him of helping to cover up the murder of Zobaidah SalangyA pizza shop owner has been convicted of murdering his wife and burying her body in an unmarked grave that police did not discover for more than six months, despite extensive searches.Nezam Salangy, 44, was found guilty at Worcester crown court of killing 28-year-old Zobaidah Salangy, his wife of eight years, on 28 March 2020 then burying her in woodland near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, under cover of darkness. Continue reading...

A leaked supreme court draft ruling shows the US is set to end 50 years of a woman’s right to choose. Elsewhere, the battle still ragesIn 2022, abortion remains one of the most controversial and bitterly contested ethical and political battlegrounds. It is illegal for women to terminate their pregnancies in any circumstance in 24 countries, with a further 37 restricting access in any case except when the mother’s life is in danger.As a leaked document signals that the US supreme court is poised to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, millions of American women face losing their access to legal abortions, joining millions more living in those countries rejecting a woman’s right to choose. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest live news, follow our Ukraine war live blog

Pivot by Germany bolsters support for phased-in import ban as Charles Michel says goal is to ‘break Russian war machine’

Moscow hits back at Israeli criticism of Sergei Lavrov’s claim that Adolf Hitler ‘had Jewish blood’

Pro-choice campaigners light candles and vent fury at Justice Alito, author of leaked opinion, as anti-abortion activists celebrate

Police in Port Lambton, Ontario called after device carrying shopping bag of guns flew into tree and operator fled in vehiclePolice in Canada have intercepted a drone which crossed the border from the United States carrying a shopping bag with nearly a dozen handguns – but only after the pilot crashed the device into a nearby tree.Officers in southern Ontario were called to a home near the town of Port Lambton, north-east of Detroit after residents reported seeing a stranger maneuvering a commercial drone. Continue reading...

Luke Skelton, 18, allegedly carried out ‘hostile reconnaissance’ and believed he was engaged in a race warA teenager said to have lionised Hitler and who allegedly believed he was part of a race war against “totalitarian” liberal democracy has gone on trial accused of preparing to commit a terrorist act.Luke Skelton, 18, is alleged to have carried out “hostile reconnaissance” of Forth Banks police station in Newcastle upon Tyne. Continue reading...