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Victory of radical-right candidate could seriously destabilise the coalition government of pro-EU prime minister Donald TuskThe victory margin of the nationalist Karol Nawrocki in Poland's presidential elections may have been wafer-thin, but it marks a huge upheaval in the country's political landscape whose impact will be felt not just in Warsaw but across the EU.Backed by the previous ruling conservative Law & Justice (PiS) party and, openly, by Donald Trump's Maga movement, Nawrocki, a radical-right historian, defeated his liberal rival, the capital's mayor, Rafa Trzaskowski, by 50.89% to 49.11%. Continue reading...

Exclusive: More schools identified as targets after controls on IDF action against Hamas operatives at civilian sites loosenedA series of recent deadly airstrikes on school buildings sheltering displaced people in Gaza were part of a deliberate Israeli military bombing strategy, with further schools identified as targets, the Guardian has learned.At least six school buildings have been struck, reportedly killing more than 120 people, in recent months as part of a targeting effort by the Israeli military. Continue reading...

The sometimes vague plan could be clearer about what is necessary to maintain security in an unpredictable worldLabour's defence review is full of contradictions. It paints a picture of a more dangerous world, with Britain facing multiple, direct threats" to its security, particularly from nuclear-armed states such as Russia and China, and warns that the west's long-held military advantage is being eroded".But when it comes to spending taxpayers' money, the exercise is considerably more cautious. The reviewers, a team of three led by the former Nato secretary general George Robertson, accept the spending envelope given to them by the prime minister, Keir Starmer: a gradual lift in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and a looser promise to increase spending to 3% by the end of the next parliament. Continue reading...

Switch comes as Nigel Farage defends advert attacking Scottish Labour leader that prompted accusations of racism

Block of Parmigiano Reggiano opened after 27 years and three months - six years longer then previous holderA wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano has been celebrated as an authentic jewel of nature" after setting a longevity record for parmesan cheese.The still edible 36kg wheel was one of the last made in 1998 by Romano Camorani and his wife Silvia at their dairy in Poviglio, a small town in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region. Continue reading...

John Sutherland says he was conscious when Sam Wilks gave excruciating' chest compressionsA leading academic of English literature has criticised prosecutors for dropping an assault charge against a police officer who allegedly gave him forceful chest compressions meant for a heart attack victim while he was awake.John Sutherland, 86, emeritus Lord Northcliffe professor of modern English literature at University College London, fell ill on a London underground train in May 2023. Continue reading...

Tory MP's claim that officers should carry guns to stop prison violence dismissed as headline-grabbing'Robert Jenrick's demand for armed prison guards has been described as headline-grabbing nonsense" by organisations representing governors and staff.The UK shadow justice secretary, who has made a series of eye-catching demands over the last few days, said on Sunday that prison officers should be allowed to carry guns and build up armouries" to clamp down on violence from Islamist gangs and violent prisoners. Continue reading...

Officials say there's no immediate danger after volcano generates eruptive cloud and pyroclastic flowA huge plume of ash, gas and rock has spewed forth from Italy's Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, but authorities said there was no current danger to the population.Images showed a massive grey cloud billowing from the volcano on the island of Sicily, beginning about 11:24 am local time on Monday, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Continue reading...

Exclusive: Culture secretary steps aside after it emerged preferred candidate donated to her Labour leadership bidLisa Nandy has removed herself from the final decision over who will lead the new football regulator, after it emerged the preferred candidate had donated to the culture secretary's Labour leadership campaign.David Kogan, a media executive who was nominated by the government as chair of the independent football regulator earlier this year, revealed last month that he had given money to Nandy during her bid to succeed Jeremy Corbyn in 2020. Continue reading...

Leaders of parties forming Tusk government to discuss coalition arrangements after Nawrocki's victory over Warsaw mayor Trzaskowski. This live blog is closed

Former Tory MP will work with Czech billionaire's EP Group in the UK and Germany

Exclusive: Report suggests government has overestimated its housebuilding figures and will miss target for England

Prof Aaron Koller hopes to broaden appeal of Hebrew and move away from it being seen as a political thing'When Henry VIII established a royal professorship in Hebrew nearly 500 years ago, the idea that a Jew would fill the role at Cambridge studying the ancient language of the Israelites was impossible.It's not surprising, if you know that at the time of Henry VIII Jews were banned from England. So that was quite a technical obstacle," said Prof Aaron Koller, who later this year will become the first Jewish occupant of the post since 1540. Continue reading...

WA senator says what you can't do from the crossbench is make change' as Anthony Albanese says Cox approached the government about move

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Trial of Victorian woman, 50, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder over a fatal 2023 beef wellington lunch, enters sixth week. Follow liveThe jury is back in the courtroom in Morwell.Mandy concludes the defence's cross-examination. Continue reading...

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Former Victorian opposition leader says he will be doing everything possible' to pay the defamation costs within 21 days

The right-wing candidate narrowly beat liberal Rafa Trzaskowski, official results showedRight-wing opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won Poland's second round presidential election, official results showed, dealing a huge blow to prime minister Donald Tusk's reform agenda.Nawrocki won Sunday's election with 50.89% of votes, the electoral commission said early on Monday on its website, ahead of his rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal Warsaw mayor and an ally of Tusk, with 49.11%. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can read our latest report on Poland's presidential election hereAny moment now...Are you ready? Continue reading...

On visit to Morocco, David Lammy commends Rabat's plan for limited self-rule in disputed territoryThe UK has thrown its weight behind Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, marking a shift in Britain's position on one of Africa's longest-running territorial disputes.Speaking during a visit to Rabat on Sunday, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, said Britain considered Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis" for resolving the dispute. Continue reading...

Deceased's wounds appeared self-inflicted in incident at Fairgreen mall that was attended by bomb disposal expertsA man has died after a shooting at a shopping centre in County Carlow.The PA news agency understands that it appears that the dead man's wounds were self-inflicted. Continue reading...

Review will call for war-fighting readiness' to deal with new threats, though army will not grow before next election

Most evacuated residents are from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last weekMore than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remain active and affect air quality in parts of Canada and the US, according to officials.Most of the evacuated residents were from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week. About 17,000 people there were evacuated by Saturday, along with 1,300 in Alberta. About 8,000 people in Saskatchewan had been relocated as leaders there said the number could climb. Continue reading...

Vehicles torched in French capital and football supporters clash with police following match in MunichTwo people have died and hundreds have been arrested amid violence on the streets of France, which have marred Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory and provoked political recriminations.Cars were torched as flares and fireworks were set off while supporters clashed with police in the French capital on Saturday night after the match in Munich. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Warnings frustrated' Sikh voters could turn to Reform over failure to investigate UK's role in 1984 tragedyBritish Sikhs are threatening to no platform" Labour MPs over the lack of a public inquiry into UK complicity in the 1984 Golden Temple massacre in India, amid warnings frustrated" Sikh voters could back Reform UK.More than 450 gurdwaras, charities, associations and university societies have written to Keir Starmer demanding he honour previous promises to fully investigate the affair or risk massive consequences for the re-election of many Labour MPs". Continue reading...

Queen enthralled by Italian city's museum dedicated to poet Lord Byron, who wrote Don Juan thereIf the most satisfying thing for anyone giving a guided tour is speaking to an enthusiastic and curious listener, then Diego Saglia felt he royally hit the jackpot when he met Queen Camilla in Ravenna.The queen, who was in the northern Italian city with King Charles during a state visit to the country in early April, was so enamoured of her visit to a museum dedicated to the British poet and satirist Lord Byron that she kept her husband waiting in the courtyard. She lingered over Byron's original manuscripts, locks of his curly hair and the love letters he wrote to Countess Teresa Guiccioli. Continue reading...

Lyme Bay Winery is the first English producer to win IWC trophies for both red and white wine in the same yearThey began by producing drinks more usually associated with the rolling hills of southern England - hearty ciders, warming tipples made from hedgerow fruits and good old-fashioned mead.But Lyme Bay Winery in Devon is celebrating a bit of history having become the first English producer to win prestigious international trophies for both red and white wine in the same year. Continue reading...

Prosecutors lay out charges against former mogul but court case has little of the fanfare that characterised first trialIn comparable terms of criminal justice, Harvey Weinstein's sexual crimes retrial in a Manhattan criminal court has had little of the fanfare that meets the trial of Sean Diddy" Combs playing out just steps away in federal court.Combs's trial, on charges of sex-trafficking conspiracy and featuring lurid testimony, has been a hub for content creators, each day lining up outside to deliver their thoughts on the day's evidence. Continue reading...

Artists and legal experts are outraged over MC Poze do Rodo's detention over supposed non-violent offencesThe arrest of a well-known Brazilian funk singer on charges of allegedly inciting crime in his lyrics and an alleged connection to a major criminal gang has sparked outrage among artists, intellectuals and legal experts.MC Poze do Rodo, 26, who has 5.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, was arrested early on Thursday at his home in a luxury condominium in Rio de Janeiro's west zone. Continue reading...

Police on the Champs-Elysees use teargas and pepper spray to keep order after huge crowds had gathered for gameAt least 81 people have been arrested after violent clashes in Paris after huge crowds of fans gathered to watch PSG's victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final.The club's Parc des Princes stadium was transformed into a fan zone for the night to screen the match, which took place in Munich, with about 48,000 attending. Continue reading...

Rescuers discover Aziz Ziriat's body buried in snow at foot of the southern face of the Care Alto mountainThe body of a British hiker missing in the Dolomites in northern Italy since New Year's Day has been found, local rescuers said on Saturday.Aziz Ziriat, 36, from London, was discovered buried in snow by rescuers from the Trentino Alpine and speleological rescue team, the organisation said. Continue reading...

Plans for 1.5bn investment in munitions manufacturing response to government's defence review's call to boost stockpilesThe UK will spend 1.5bn on building six munitions and energetics factories to better deter our adversaries" as part of its long-awaited strategic defence review.John Healey, the defence secretary, said the funds formed part of plans for an always-on" weapons pipeline and would support the procurement of up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons. Continue reading...

Israel and US envoy reject group's proposal to free 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for release of Palestinian prisonersHamas said on Saturday that it had submitted its response containing some amendments to a proposal presented by Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to mediators, the most concrete sign of progress towards a ceasefire since March.The Palestinian group said in a statement that under the deal, it will release 10 living hostages and 18 bodies in return for Israel's release of Palestinian prisoners - a change to the US's latest proposal that will make it more difficult for Israel to resume fighting if talks on a permanent ceasefire are not completed by the end of the truce. Continue reading...

Police called on Friday afternoon over concerns for the welfare of two children who had entered the riverA body has been found in the search for a girl missing in the River Thames, police said.A body was recovered from the river near Gravesend with the assistance of the RNLI at about 11.40am on Saturday. Continue reading...

Market thought to be worth more than 500m as diners seek cheaper alternatives to the pub or a meal outDessert cafes and ice-cream parlours are hoping to play a role in a revival of UK high streets and the night-time economy, as people seek an alternative to going to the pub or an expensive meal out.Their number has soared by almost 700 in the UK in the past decade, according to analysts at Green Street, formerly the Local Data Company, with outlets in places from Aberdeen to Plymouth. Continue reading...

Peng Yujiang says updraft took him nearly as high as Mount Everest but parts of flight video appear to be AI-generatedA Chinese paraglider's story of being accidentally propelled more than 8,000 metres high by an updraft has been thrown into doubt after it emerged that parts of a video of the flight appear to have been AI-generated.Peng Yujiang, who has been banned from the activity for six months, said he began from an elevation of about 3,000 metres in the Qilian mountain range in northern China, where he intended to test some secondhand equipment he bought without making a proper flight, according to an investigative report by the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association. Continue reading...

Morning rain could affect Northern Ireland and Scotland but southern and eastern parts likely to remain dryTemperatures could hit 27C on Saturday, as the UK's sunniest spring on record draws to a close. But more changeable weather is forecast next week.Temperatures reached 25.7C at Heathrow on Friday - about 7C hotter than the average for the time of year - and the trend is due to continue into Saturday, with highs of 27C possible in some areas, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

MoD document expected to highlight dangers posed by Russia and China, and shortfall in UK troop numbersBritain is facing a new era of threat" with drones, artificial intelligence and other technologies changing the nature of warfare more fundamentally than at any other point in history, the government's strategic defence review is expected to conclude on Monday.The 130-page document written by three advisers to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, will warn of the immediate and pressing" danger posed by Russia and is expected to try to draw heavily on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Medecins Sans Frontieres report sparks calls for Sudan's warring parties to be held to account for rapes and attacksAs Sudan's Darfur region has been overrun by militias, women are facing the constant threat of sexual violence, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has reported.The medical charity said in the South Darfur region alone its workers treated 659 sexual violence survivors between January and March this year, more than two-thirds of whom had been raped. Continue reading...

Austria and Slovenia are exceptions in continent where just a third of militaries even know their carbon footprint

London transport body says allowing Bpas adverts on its network could bring police and City Hall into disreputeTransport for London has blocked adverts that urge people to lobby their MPs to vote to decriminalise abortion from running on its network because it claims they could bring the police and City Hall into disrepute.Parliament is expected to vote on whether to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in the coming weeks, with amendments tabled to the criminal justice bill seeking to change the law. Continue reading...

Not all is going smoothly after Friedrich Merz's promise to build up German army and no limits' on helping UkraineWithin days of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Olaf Scholz announced a Zeitenwende, or historical turning point". The then German chancellor promised a security transformation by increasing defence spending, sending more aid to Ukraine, taking a tougher approach to authoritarian states and rapidly reducing Germany's dependence on Russian energy.It was a psychological turning point for a country haunted by its Nazi past but now expected to step up - as the biggest economic power in Europe - to a threat to the continent. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Conditions on settlement negotiations common in many industries but consumer advocates concerned they could be used to silence victims and avoid scrutiny'

Paper is likely to run into two difficulties, people and money, as personnel numbers fall and spending risesBritain may not be at war, but the backdrop to next Monday's strategic defence review is the greatest geopolitical uncertainty since 1945. A set of loosely interconnected conflicts - led by Russia's continued assault on Ukraine and its related shadow war in Europe, and Israel's seemingly unending war on Hamas, which may lead to an attack on Iran - have not at all been restrained by a skittish White House with little interest in helping to promote peace in Europe.One of the three-strong review team is Fiona Hill, who was briefly and famously an adviser to Donald Trump in his first term. She is so worried about the disintegration of postwar norms that she believes the world is drifting towards a scenario that you had in world war one" where, in the run-up to the war, suddenly all these different interests and these different conflicts became, you know, basically intertwined with each other, [and] it becomes extraordinarily hard to disentangle". Continue reading...

Existing bureau that helps with settling people in US would become new agency overseeing deportationsThe state department is seeking to create an Office of Remigration" as

Concerns raised that hefty award to politician over Spotlight episode could lead to less hard-hitting journalismFor more than half a century, Spotlight has roved a beam over Northern Ireland, illuminating dark and overlooked topics. But now the flagship BBC documentary series is itself in the glare of scrutiny.Gerry Adams' victory in a libel case on Friday dealt a heavy blow to Spotlight and the BBC and raises questions over the programme and the impact of the case on journalism in the UK and Ireland. Continue reading...

Several people remain missing in state of Niger after torrential rains submerged town of MokwaMore than 100 people have died and several others remain missing after a torrential downpour in the central Nigerian state of Niger, local authorities said on Friday.Floods submerged the town of Mokwa after the rains began on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning. Ibrahim Audu Hussein, a spokesperson for the state emergency management agency, said rescue efforts were still under way on Friday. Continue reading...

Radiohead frontman makes lengthy statement after he had been criticised over perceived silence on the war, and for previously performing in IsraelAfter he was criticised for his silence on the subject, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has made a statement regarding the war in Gaza, saying Benjamin Netanyahu and his Israeli administration are extremists" who need to be stopped".He also criticised Hamas, saying the organisation chooses too to hide behind the suffering of its people".I think Netanyahu and his crew of extremists are totally out of control and need to be stopped, and that the international community should put all the pressure it can on them to cease. Their excuse of self-defence has long since worn thin and has been replaced by a transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently.I believe this ultra-nationalist administration has hidden itself behind a terrified & grieving people and used them to deflect any criticism, using that fear and grief to further their ultra-nationalist agenda with terrible consequences, as we see now with the horrific blockade of aid to Gaza ... Continue reading...

The chancellor will announce billions in regional spending after rewriting Treasury investment rulesAndrew Bailey has urged the UK government to deepen ties with the EU, as he warned a breakdown in global trade would make it harder for the Bank of England to control inflation.In a speech in Dublin on Thursday, the Bank's governor said a stronger relationship between London and Brussels could minimise negative effects" of Brexit on trade.As of now, provided you are an eligible UK donor ... we are the first political party in Britain that can accept donations in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.My message to the British public, and my message particularly to young people, is to help us to help you bring our country properly into the 21st century.Let's recognise that crypto and digital assets are here to stay. Continue reading...