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GDP hit by higher energy prices caused by Middle East conflict, after 3% rise in MarchThe UK economy contracted by 0.1% in April as the Iran war began to take its toll on growth, official figures show.As energy prices have risen as a result of the conflict, after Iran closed off the strait of Hormuz - a key shipping route for global trade - the UK's strong expansion in the first quarter had been expected to slide into reverse. Continue reading...

Flood of tributes for Victorian athlete, who died while overseas

Event to go ahead at an undisclosed location after Moonee Ponds restaurant cancelled at the eleventh hour

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Imperial College scientists analysed health records before and after introduction of air pollution reduction zonesLow emission and clean air zones attract controversy whenever they are proposed, but there is growing evidence that they work in improving air quality. The Bradford zone was followed by a reduction of about 25% in GP visits for heart and breathing problems and survey data shows that the central London zone was followed by a reduction in the likelihood of a person taking sick leave.Now analysis of health records has found emergency admissions to hospital reduced after the introduction of the T-charge and ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) in central London. Continue reading...

Green surge in local elections and recent polling of Labour members may cause government to toughen stance on Israel

This blog is now closed - see our latest full report on the Middle East crisisThree Indian seafarers were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker earlier this week, India's shipping minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said.It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified," he wrote in a post on X.The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & the consequences reach far beyond the region." Continue reading...

Ayoub Junaid, seven, given new pair but needs surgery as Gaza's children remain unable to access treatmentA video of a seven-year-old Palestinian boy in Gaza who suffers from a severe visual impairment crying over his shattered glasses has drawn widespread attention across social and international media.The footage of Ayoub Junaid has shone a light on the plight of the many visually impaired children in Gaza who, because of Israel's blockade and the devastation caused by the war, have been unable to access eye examinations, corrective lenses or specialist ophthalmic surgery. Continue reading...

Figures suggest common travel area being exploited in both directions, but particularly UK to IrelandUp to 90% of asylum seekers in Ireland may have entered the country via the Northern Ireland land border in the last three years, figures suggest.Irish government data shows the common travel area (CTA) is being exploited in both directions but suggests it may be more popular for those seeking asylum in Ireland than in the UK. Continue reading...

More than 20,000 votes cast in Butterfly Conservation's poll of 60 native species to find nation's favourite for first timeThe votes are in on Britain's favourite butterfly, and it is one of the most ubiquitous yet spectacular backyard beauties that has flown to victory.With its lavender, yellow and maroon eye spots and luscious rusty red and black colouration, the peacock butterfly is both beautiful and commonplace, flying throughout spring, summer and autumn in all corners of the British Isles. Continue reading...

After nights of violence across Belfast this week, politicians continue to call for calm, but what else can be done to stop the violence spreading? Plus, Jessica Elgot has been to Makerfield and spoken to undecided voters on the doorstepThe full list of candidates for the Makerfield byelection: Continue reading...

A luxury resort backed by the US president's family may be built on a wildlife-rich nature reserve in one of Europe's poorest nationsIf the real estate dreams of a billionaire political family come true, an island in one of Europe's poorest countries will become a luxury hotel complex, sweeping up stretches of the wildlife-rich nature reserve that sits across the water.No public consultation has taken place, but there are signs the idea is on the way to becoming reality. Albania has been rocked by nearly two weeks of fierce protests after fences and heavy machinery came to a sensitive wetland and preparatory work began on the tourism vision of Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Continue reading...

The Guardian reporter Hannah Al-Othman on the anti-immigrant rioting in Northern Ireland and the residents afraid for their livesStella and Sumayah are housemates. Both care workers and students from Uganda, they live together in west Belfast.On Tuesday night, the riots across the city came to their street. The neighbouring houses were set on fire, smoke was coming through the door, masked men were outside. Continue reading...

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol's health had worsened since she was hospitalised in December 2022 with heart problems that left her gravely illThe eldest child of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has died aged 47, the palace has said, after nearly four years in a coma.Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, known in Thailand as Princess Bha, had been in hospital since December 2022 when she became gravely ill after having heart problems while out training her dogs. Continue reading...

Iranian leadership has not confirmed claim, after the US president announced that planned strikes on Iran had been cancelled

British journalist to become one of most prominent appointments made by embattled editor-in-chief Bari WeissCBS News is planning to hire the prominent British broadcaster Trevor Phillips, currently a Sunday morning presenter on Sky News, as a global affairs correspondent for the network, a significant hire for embattled top editor Bari Weiss.The network has not yet announced the appointment, which was first reported by Breaker, and a spokesperson declined comment when asked about it. Phillips did not respond to a Thursday morning message from the Guardian seeking comment. Continue reading...

Report says confidence among 16- to 21-year-olds has fallen sharply as they doubt hard work will be rewardedYoung people in England are increasingly losing faith in their futures" according to a report, as record numbers fear long-term unemployment.Analysing survey data, including from the Office for National Statistics, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said 16- to 21-year-olds were less confident about being successful than a decade ago. Continue reading...

One-off programme to begin in July after recent MenB outbreaks in Kent, Dorset and Berkshire killed three peopleTeenagers in their final school year and young people starting university will be offered two doses of a vaccine to protect them against meningitis B, the government has announced.The one-off vaccination programme, which will begin in late July, comes after an unprecedented outbreak of meningitis B in Kent earlier this year along with clusters of cases in Dorset and Berkshire that, together, led to the deaths of three young people. Continue reading...

Doctors say therapy that genetically modifies person's T-cells could offer cure for chronic autoimmune diseaseFive lupus patients in England are in remission after being treated with a revolutionary therapy that genetically modifies their own cells, in a medical breakthrough that could offer people a cure, doctors have said.CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy involves removing a type of white blood cell also called T lymphocytes, which are crucial for hunting out infected or damaged cells, and engineering them to spot and destroy disease. The T-cells are then fed back into the patient via an infusion to reset their immune system. Continue reading...

Suspect detained under Mental Health Act, as police confirm counter-terrorism unit is leading investigationA 14-year-old girl has been charged in connection with three stabbings at a school in north Manchester, police said.The girl was charged with three charges of attempted murder and two charges of possessing a bladed article on school premises over the incident on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Government urged to reconsider proposal for 1,100 Afghans, currently stranded in Qatar, who worked with US forcesDozens of US lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Thursday to roll back any plans to ship to unsafe third countries Afghan nationals who worked with US forces during the war in their homeland.In a letter seen by Reuters, more than 80 House of Representatives members, including at least three Republicans as well as Democrats, appealed to secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to reconsider plans for 1,100 Afghans who have been stranded in Qatar awaiting relocation. Continue reading...

Live webcam footage from atop the Washington Monument shows a highly visible 8', while the others appears fainterUS federal authorities are investigating what appears to be a massive etching of 8647" into the grass of the National Mall.Live webcam footage from atop the Washington Monument as of Thursday afternoon shows the markings, with a highly visible 8," along with less visible 6", 4" and 7". Continue reading...

Suit filed in US alleges chatbot told Alice Carrier, 24, maybe this is just the end' as she struggled with suicidal thoughtsA Canadian mother sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in US court on Thursday, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged her daughter to kill herself. The lawsuit is the latest in a slew accusing the company of failing to address dangerous conversations between users and the company's chatbot.Kristie Carrier said in a lawsuit filed in San Francisco state court that her daughter, Alice, told ChatGPT about her suicidal ideations more than a dozen times leading up to her death but that OpenAI's safety systems never flagged the conversations for human review or terminated them. Continue reading...

John Healey's complaint is that Starmer sat on this problem for months before making a derisory offer

Washington claims their vessel was violating its blockade of Iranian ports and failed to comply with instructions

Pregnant woman in Scotland stressed' and unsure what will happen as result of UK government's visa clampdownA heavily pregnant mother legally living and working in the UK fears the Home Office could try to separate her from her unborn baby after her husband and first child were sent go home" letters.Sachintha Warnakulasuriya lives in Scotland with her husband, Indika Kumara, and their six-year-old daughter, Heily. Warnakulasuriya, 36, has a visa permitting her to work in the UK as a care worker and is sponsored by her employer. Her husband, also 36, and daughter are legally entitled to live in the UK as her dependents. Continue reading...

PSNI receive reinforcements from Great Britain amid further condemnation of violencePolice have fired plastic bullets and received reinforcements from Great Britain in an effort to contain race riots in Northern Ireland.The force has fired 17 of the projectiles since disturbances erupted on Tuesday, pitting officers against crowds that have thrown rocks, petrol bombs and other missiles. Continue reading...

Largest comeback in NBA finals history galvanizes city and inspires morning-after chants of Knicks in five!'New Yorkers woke up on Thursday morning - those who had even slept in the city that never sleeps - still jubilant after the Knicks men's basketball team had made history the night before.The team staged the largest comeback in NBA finals history to overcome the San Antonio Spurs in the dying seconds of the fourth game of the finals - and put themselves 3-1 up and within one game of a rare championship win. Continue reading...

Former DUP leader also rejects suggestion wife knew about or witnessed abuse, saying there was nothing to know'Jeffrey Donaldson is crystal clear" that an allegation he raped a girl several years ago is simply not true", the former Democratic Unionist party leader has told a court.Giving evidence in the third week of his trial on sexual abuse charges, the ex-MP said an allegation that he had touched the same girl's breasts was just unbelievable". Continue reading...

Regulator approval means patients who meet criteria will be able to purchase tablets with private prescriptionPatients in the UK will soon be able to buy the Wegovy weight-loss pill, the medicines regulator announced on Thursday.It is the first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet for weight-loss to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), making the UK the third country to authorise the pills, behind the US and the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading...

Footage shows Elliot Sudal hauling the shark from the surf before releasing it within seconds, sparking online reactionAn angler who reeled in a rare great white shark at a Nantucket beach said he posted extraordinary video of the encounter to social media as an example of how to safely catch and release one of the ocean's greatest predators.Elliot Sudal said he was testing the waters" off the Massachusetts beach he regularly uses when he inadvertently snagged the shark on Sunday. Continue reading...

Police released photos of person of interest in Tuesday's cross burning, often linked to white supremacy and racismChicago authorities are searching for a suspect after a cross was burned in Grant Park earlier this week.At about 2.30pm on Tuesday, Chicago's fire department responded to reports of a cross set ablaze in the park. No injuries were reported and firefighters quickly extinguished the flames. Continue reading...

The defence secretary's departure was the wrong resignation at the worst possible time for the prime minister

Published for the first time, the data recorded 2,241 daily cases of A&E corridor care, with 699 patients also treated in other inappropriate settingsAlmost 3,000 patients a day in England are receiving care in hospital corridors due to an unavailability of beds in A&E units across the country, according to official figures.Corridor care occurs when a patient receives treatment in a setting that is clinically inappropriate and is deemed to be undignified and unsafe. Continue reading...

Labour leadership hopeful says he does not support payments after backlash but is open to other benefitsAndy Burnham has ruled out paying compensation to the Waspi women" who claim they lost out owing to changes to the state pension age - but said he was open to the idea of giving them other benefits.Burnham had previously indicated he backed compensating as many as 3.6 million women born in the 1950s, some of whom claim they lost thousands of pounds because they were ill-informed about the changes. Continue reading...

Minister accuses Keir Starmer of putting UK's security at risk at a time of growing international threats

European Central Bank increases main deposit rate to 2.25%, with two further rises expected by next spring

Broadcaster reveals its revenues from expanded tournament are running about 30% higher than for Euro 2024The World Cup will be the most lucrative sports event ITV has ever aired, the broadcaster has said, with bosses calling the tournament a six-week summer Super Bowl moment" for TV advertising.The channel is airing 51 of the 104 matches across the men's tournament, co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, which is the biggest yet after an expansion from 32 to 48 teams. Continue reading...

With some matches being held in nearby Miami, a Cuban response to US military action could mar the tournamentAs Cuba crumbles under a nearly five-month-long US oil blockade, many on the island hope that the World Cup might save the island from US attack - or at least offer a respite until the competition ends on 19 July.The beginning of the World Cup will make it more difficult for the United States to carry out a military action in Cuba," said Carlos Alzugaray, Cuba's former ambassador to the EU. Cuba is very close to the US, and can hit many targets inside the US, especially in south Florida, with drones or other weapons." Continue reading...

Guardian review finds group tied to Cleta Mitchell and Heather Honey funded misleading ads in swing statesAs the 2024 election approached, advertisements began popping up in key swing states suggesting local officials had discretion not to certify elections.The advertisements, reported at the time by ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch, were misleading. Certification is not optional, and officials are required to certify the vote once the proper process for any election challenges are complete and an official challenge is complete. The warnings, nonetheless, arrived at a moment when Donald Trump and allies seemed to be gearing up to contest the election results if he lost. Continue reading...

Iran says US attacks make ceasefire practically meaningless'. Plus, Trump says I love the inflation' when asked about jump to 4.2%Good morning.Has the ceasefire collapsed yet?What is the status of negotiations? Talks to turn the ceasefire into a durable peace deal have stalled for weeks, with periodic flare-ups as both sides continued to launch limited strikes and trade blame for violating the truce.What do the two side want? Iran seeks the lifting of international sanctions, the unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets, and control over the strait of Hormuz. Trump has said any future peace deal must prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies it is seeking to do.This is a developing story. Follow our live coverage here.What did Gates say? I support the release of all the Epstein files and sincerely hope that, through your efforts and those of others advocating on their behalf, the survivors of Epstein's crimes can get the justice that they deserve." Continue reading...

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira faces fraud charges after allegedly persuading family to take her into their homeA 38-year-old woman has been arrested in Brazil accused of pretending to be a 12-year-old girl to deceive a couple who took her into their home for more than a year.Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira was charged in the southern state of Santa Catarina with fraud and false identity offences. Continue reading...

London, the east of England and the West Midlands have highest number of cases, as UKHSA urges families to get children vaccinatedTwo children in England have died from measles, health officials say, as data shows more than 100 new reported cases in the last fortnight.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday that two children had died this year, one from acute measles" and the other from the late effects of measles". Continue reading...

Solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity in May even as Trump boosts coal over clean energyEven as Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power.Data released Wednesday by global energy thinktank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (Seia) and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation's electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever. Continue reading...

Sources say firm is asking for more than 1bn in row that could put pressure on two countries' relationship

Mike Ashley's retail group has made a near-2bn takeover bid for fashion house, in which it already holds a 26% stake

Hilary Benn says 16 people arrested and 12 police officers injured during second night of disorderThe Northern Ireland secretary has condemned racist thuggery" in Belfast after a second night of violent anti-immigration protests, in which 16 people were arrested and 12 police officers were injured.Hilary Benn said during the violence, which followed a serious knife attack on Monday, people were stopped in their cars to be asked where they come from and were targeted because of the colour of their skin. Continue reading...

New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon is among witnesses expected to appear at the six-week trial in July next year

A wave of US strikes represents the gravest test yet of the fragile truce. Here's what happened, what officials are saying and whether the deal can survive

Home secretary also urged to force tech firms to share data on stolen devices and if they are reactivatedThe Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has asked the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to force all phone companies to make stolen devices unusable bricks" in order to make them harder to sell on and less desirable to steal.London is widely regarded as the phone-snatching capital of Europe, with between 200 and 300 devices stolen each day. The city accounts for up to three-quarters of all mobile phone thefts in England and Wales. Continue reading...