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City of Yarra voted to scrap memorial to the explorer, which was toppled and graffitied in January

Former world champion cyclist avoids jail after pleading guilty to committing aggravated act likely to cause harm after 2023 incident that killed Olympian Hoskins

Public accounts committee called the record sum jaw-dropping' and criticised inaction to reduce errors in a damning reportThe NHS's total liabilities for medical negligence have hit an astounding" 58.2bn amid ministers' failure to improve patient safety, an influential group of MPs have warned.The Commons public accounts committee (PAC) said the jaw-dropping" sums being paid to victims of botched treatment and government inaction to reduce errors were unacceptable". Continue reading...

Move to bring number of full-time government staff working in Whitehall down from 95,000 to about 83,000Major Whitehall government buildings are to be shut by ministers as they seek to shed 12,000 civil servant jobs in London, while moving thousands of roles to cities across the UK.Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, said he would set a target of 50% of all senior civil servants being based outside London within five years, with the aim of policy being made closer to communities affected. Continue reading...

Diabetes UK report found the UK spends 10.7bn on diabetes care each year - a figure set to rise to 18bn by 2035Almost a third of deaths from cardiovascular disease in England occur in people with diabetes, according to analysis by a leading charity.A report by Diabetes UK has found that 29% of deaths from the disease in England occurred in people with diabetes, out of a total of 144,590 deaths in 2022, according to analysis of the National Diabetes Audit. Continue reading...

Singer says on the stand there were violent arguments' and dragging' in former relationship with the hip-hop mogul

Vulnerable girl suffered hideous abuse' from Ibrar Hussain and Imtiaz and Fayaz Ahmed over several yearsThree child sexual abusers who raped a vulnerable teenager over several years in the 1990s have had their sentences extended after intervention by the solicitor general.Ibrar Hussain, 47, and brothers Imtiaz, 64, and Fayaz Ahmed, 45, had their sentences increased after Lucy Rigby referred the case to the court of appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. Continue reading...

In a final interview, Mujica said: We are too focused on wealth and not on happiness ... Before you know it, life has passed you by'Uruguay's former president Jose Mujica, a onetime Marxist guerrilla and flower farmer whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world, has died. He was 89.His death was announced by the current Uruguayan president. Yamandu Orsi. In a post on social media platform X, Orsi called Mujica a president, activist, guide and leader". Mujica had been under treatment for cancer of the esophagus since spring 2024, when the disease was diagnosed. Continue reading...

New research finds Wegovy can reduce risk of heart attack, early death and stroke within three months of treatmentThe NHS must accelerate its use of weight loss jabs, experts have said, as society enters a golden age" of such medications.Obesity is linked to numerous long-term conditions including cancer, heart disease, dementia and diabetes, putting a huge strain on the NHS. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says he will travel to Turkey on Thursday whether or not Russian leader flies in for talksVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes the current period of frantic diplomacy and high-stakes gambits between Russia and Ukraine will end with Donald Trump understanding that Vladimir Putin is the real obstacle to a peace deal.Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies. And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it's not us that is slowing down the process," said Zelenskyy, speaking to a small group of journalists, including the Guardian, in his office at the presidential administration in Kyiv. Continue reading...

Accepting honorary Palme d'Or at opening ceremony of festival, actor rails against the US's philistine president'The actor Robert De Niro has - after a brief period of abstention - returned to his robust public critique of Donald Trump, using his Palme d'Or acceptance speech at the Cannes film festival to newly attack the US president.Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 78th film festival in France, De Niro said that the US's re-elected commander-in-chief posed a global threat. Continue reading...

Mexico says 17 relatives traveled for Ovidio Guzman, who was extradited to US in 2023 to face narcotics chargesRelatives of Ovidio Guzman, a son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquin El Chapo" Guzman, have gone to the United States as part of his negotiations with US authorities, according to Mexico's security minister.Ovidio Guzman, known as El Raton" (The Mouse), pleaded not guilty in a US district court in Chicago last year but is believed to be seeking a plea deal. Continue reading...

PM, who led Liberals to re-election, replaces Melanie Joly - who becomes industry minister - with Anita AnandMark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, has announced a major cabinet shake-up, including a new foreign minister, as he shapes a newly re-elected Liberal government.Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau earlier this year and won the election last month, named Anita Anand as foreign minister, replacing Melanie Joly, who becomes the minister of industry. Anand previously served in roles including defense minister. Continue reading...

The writer and director, whose credits also include Bonnie and Clyde, Superman and Places in the Heart, died at his New York City homeOscar-winning writer and director Robert Benton has died at the age of 92.He won his two Academy awards for divorce drama Kramer vs Kramer. His longtime assistant and manager confirmed his death to the New York Times. Continue reading...

Downing Street says it is wrong to compare PM's warning about island of strangers' to 1968 rivers of blood' speechDowning Street has robustly defended Keir Starmer's language on immigration, which has been likened to that used by Enoch Powell, rejecting the direct comparison but saying the prime minister would not shy away" from direct talk about the subject.A series of MPs criticised Starmer for his rhetoric when introducing a new policy paper on immigration on Monday, particularly his warning that the UK risked becoming an island of strangers", a near-direct echo of language used by Powell in his infamous 1968 rivers of blood" speech. Continue reading...

George Holmes and two other staff members suspended over allegations of financial irregularitiesThe vice-chancellor of the University of Greater Manchester and two other members of staff have been suspended as police confirmed an investigation was under way into allegations of financial irregularities".The university, which was known until recently as the University of Bolton, confirmed that Prof George Holmes, who has been its vice-chancellor for 20 years, the provost and a third senior member of academic staff had been suspended. Continue reading...

Amazon brand will offer more than 100 artificial intelligence-generated voices in English and other languagesAudible has announced plans to use AI technology to narrate audiobooks, with AI translation to follow.The Amazon-owned audiobook provider has said it will be making its AI production technology available to certain publishers via select partnerships". Continue reading...

Hearing told that DNA evidence found at the scene of Diane Sindall's murder was not that of the 68-year-oldA 68-year-old man who has spent 38 years in jail has had his murder conviction quashed at the court of appeal in what is thought to be the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British history.Peter Sullivan was wrongly convicted in 1987 for the frenzied murder of a florist and part-time pub worker, Diane Sindall, 21, who was killed as she left work in Bebington, Merseyside. Continue reading...

While Peter Sullivan is released after serving 38 years for a crime he didn't commit, efforts turn to finding the killerPeople still lay flowers at the granite memorial stone close to the place in Birkenhead where Diane Sindall met her horrific, shocking death. It reads: Murdered 2.8.1986 because she was a woman. In memory of all our sisters who have been raped and murdered. We will never let it be forgotten."On Merseyside, the killing has a legacy that is still felt today. For nearly four decades, many assumed justice had been served and the right man had been convicted. On Tuesday, that was turned on its head when the court of appeal ruled Peter Sullivan was an innocent man. Continue reading...

Lawyers tell high court the founder of Greensill Group made misrepresentations to insurers and investors that led to big lossesThe government is seeking to disqualify the Australian financier Lex Greensill from managing a UK company for 12 years, the high court has heard.Greensill, a former Australian sugar farmer, is the founder and chief executive officer of Greensill Group - which specialised in supply-chain finance - the UK wing of which entered into administration in March 2021. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereGerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021.Depardieu, France's biggest film star, who has made more than 200 films and TV series, is the highest-profile figure in the French film industry to be convicted of sexual assault since the #MeToo movement. Continue reading...

PM stands by his claim the UK risks becoming an island of strangers', Downing Street saysDavid Lammy, the foreign secretary, has just started taking questions in the Commons. In response to the first question, Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, said the UK has joined calls for an urgent meeting of the UN security council this afternoon to discuss the situation in Gaza.After Foreign Office questions, Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, is asking an urgent question about the Mansion House accord - a deal with pension companies intended to get them to invest more in UK firms. Continue reading...

Carmaker says not knowing when 10% levy, down from 25%, will begin is super-harming the business'

Details taken are names, addresses and Marks & Spencer order histories, the Guardian understands

Socialists sail towards victory with 94% of votes counted in poll seen as pivotal to country's hopes of joining EUAlbania's prime minister, Edi Rama, looks to have sailed to victory in general elections after a near-complete vote count showed voters had returned him to power for an unprecedented fourth term.With 94% of the ballots counted, Rama's party was leading the leftwing Socialists to a resounding win over Sali Berisha's centre-right Democratic party in a poll viewed as pivotal for the Balkan country's attempt to join the EU. Continue reading...

Security forces stage raids against cult-like extremist Kingdom of Germany' group, arresting alleged ringleaderThe German government has outlawed a major part of an extremist movement seeking to undermine the state, in a move the new administration said signalled tough action against a subversive far-right scene.Hundreds of security forces across seven states staged early morning raids on Tuesday against the cult-like group calling itself Kingdom of Germany" (KRD), a large group within the Reichsburger (Citizens of the Reich) movement. Four suspects were arrested including alleged ringleader Peter Fitzek, the self-proclaimed Peter I. Continue reading...

Immigration plans to increase language requirement could prevent Armenian man from joining British wifeA couple fear they will be unable to be together for the birth of their first child due to Labour's plan to increase the standard of English proficiency required before people can enter the UK.The plans are contained in the new immigration white paper that introduces a new English language requirement across a broader range of immigration routes for both main applicants and dependants, including an assessment of improvements over time. Continue reading...

Buckingham Palace says French president and his wife have been invited to stay at Windsor CastleKing Charles is to host French president Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to the UK from 8-10 July, Buckingham Palace has announced.The French leader and his wife Brigitte Macron will stay at Windsor Castle and will be honoured with a state banquet at the historic Berkshire royal residence.Charles and Camilla paid a state visit to France in September 2023. Continue reading...

Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, known as Gheniwa, had recently been involved in disputes with rival armed groupsThe killing of the head of one of Libya's most powerful militias, which has been accused of abusing asylum seekers and faced allegations of crimes against humanity, has triggered armed clashes in Tripoli, resulting in at least six deaths.Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, better known as Gheniwa, the commander of Support Force Apparatus SSA, one of Tripoli's powerful armed groups, based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, was killed on Monday night at the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade of the Libyan army, a source in one of the country's security forces told Al Wasat television. Continue reading...

Police say 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger lifeA man has been arrested in connection with a series of suspected arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer, Scotland Yard has said.The 21-year-old was arrested in the early hours on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remained in custody, the Metropolitan police said. The force said the arrest related to three incidents being investigated by counter-terrorism police. Continue reading...

Carmaker slumps to 3.4bn loss after talks over Honda merger collapse and US and China sales fall

Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester suspend participation over lack of protection for trans rightsThe UK's largest Pride organisers have suspended political party participation in their events in unequivocal solidarity" with the transgender community.In a joint statement, the organisers of Pride events in Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester said the move was a direct call for accountability and a refusal to platform those who have not protected our rights" after the UK supreme court ruling last month. Continue reading...

French actor, 76, convicted of assaulting set dresser and assistant director during film shoot in Paris in 2021Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021 and given an 18 month suspended prison sentence.Depardieu, France's biggest film star, who has made more than 200 films and TV series, is the highest-profile figure in the French film industry to be convicted of sexual assault since the #MeToo movement. Continue reading...

Appointing a woman with moderate Liberal values sends a message, but that won't be enough to win over lost voters

Sussan Ley elected new Liberal leader with Ted O'Brien as her deputy. Follow today's news live

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In today's newsletter: Keir Starmer promises a suite of new measures will lower net migration - but a survey of immigration plans in the past suggests otherwiseGood morning. On Monday, Keir Starmer added his name to the dubious list of prime ministers who have used very forceful language to describe the impact of migration on the UK. The UK is at risk of becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together", he said; the system seems almost designed to permit abuse". But while the tone echoed much of the rhetoric of the last 20 years, Starmer insisted he was doing something different.In his speech launching the government's immigration white paper, he accused the Conservatives of a one-nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control", and said that the experiment is over". He also claimed that his approach was not about politics. But with Reform UK on the march, this looks thoroughly political. And even to some of his own backbenchers, his approach looks very likely to fuel racism.Middle East | Gaza is at critical risk of famine", food security experts have warned, 10 weeks after Israel imposed a blockade. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said there had been a major deterioration" in the food security situation facing Palestinians living there since its last assessment in October 2024.Security | Counter-terrorism police are investigating after two properties linked to Keir Starmer were hit by suspected arson attacks. A blaze broke out at a home owned by Starmer in Kentish Town, London in the early hours of Monday morning, following two other fires within the last week.Trump administration | The first group of white South Africans granted refugee status by Donald Trump's administration has arrived in the US, stirring controversy in South Africa as the US president declared the Afrikaners victims of a genocide". On the same day, Trump's government ended legal protections that had temporarily protected Afghans from deportation.Armed forces | Former UK special forces personnel have accused colleagues of committing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including alleging that they executed civilians and a child. Graphic accounts of routine executions of handcuffed prisoners were handed to the BBC, which reported that weapons were planted during cover-ups.Crime | Six Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia in Britain have been jailed at the Old Bailey. The ringleader, Orlin Roussev, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months for his role in executing six sophisticated" operations that risked national security and the safety of the public. Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan announces $727m expansion of prison system as data shows rise in remand numbers after tough new bail laws' introduced

Victorian court hears from mycologist who posted photos and GPS coordinates of death cap mushrooms on citizen science' website

Ley elected 29 votes to 25 over the former shadow treasurer, with Ted O'Brien elected deputy leader

Deportees face inhumane treatment and torture, say lawyers contesting Labour's migration policyThe UK government's migration plans are facing an imminent challenge this week, with lawyers seeking to overturn deportations to Bulgaria due to allegations of brutal conditions faced by migrants and asylum seekers in the country.There have been more than 24,000 returns - both enforced and voluntary - from Britain since Labour's election victory in July 2024, according to government figures. More than 200 people were returned to Bulgaria in 2024. Continue reading...

Royal College of Nursing findings described as a scandal in plain sight' with with conditions close to torture'Thousands of people in a mental health crisis are enduring waits of up to three days in A&E before they get a bed, with conditions close to torture" for those in such a distressed state.At one hospital, some patients have become so upset at the delays in being admitted that they have left and tried to kill themselves nearby, leading nurses and the fire brigade to follow in an attempt to stop them.Some trusts that previously had no long waits for mental health patients now have hundreds.The number of people seeking help at A&E for mental health emergencies is rising steadily and reached 216,182 last year.The recruitment of mental health nurses has lagged far behind the rise in demand.The number of beds in mental health units has fallen by 3,699 since 2014. Continue reading...

Opponents of proposals say it is ethically wrong to allow state to help someone take their own lifeOpponents of proposals to legalise assisted dying in Scotland have warned it is ethically wrong to allow the state to help someone take their own life.Campaigners against assisted dying, including the Silent Witness actor Liz Carr, are staging demonstrations outside the Scottish parliament on Tuesday, hours before MSPs hold a free vote on new legalisation proposals. Continue reading...

Accused, 36, remains in hospital under police guard after being charged over Harristown fire that killed boy, nine, and two girls, aged four and seven

Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will work with Australia and the Netherlands to consider reparationsThe UN aviation council has ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine that killed all 298 passengers and crew, prompting calls for reparations" for the families of victims.Flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile while flying over eastern Ukraine in 2014 as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. Among the victims were 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australian citizens or residents. Continue reading...

Exclusive: In the wake of unrest that rattled the French overseas territory, Alcide Ponga discusses how to rebuild and his plan for the futureOne year after the deadly riots that ravaged Noumea and shattered New Caledonia's economy and social fabric, newly elected president Alcide Ponga faces a series of challenges including deep division over the territory's political future - and the prospect of independence from France.Ponga, who was elected in January is an indigenous Kanak who is also anti-independence. The 49-year-old former nickel executive and mayor has vowed to get the economy back on track and support discussions on independence. Continue reading...

State government says sensible rules' will promote health and lifestyle benefits of electric scooters and bikes while keeping users and others safe

Consumers shrugged off anxiety over effect of US tariffs as card spending grew by 4.5% year on yearBritish households increased their spending in April as unusually warm weather and the long Easter weekend helped consumers shrug off anxiety around the global economy, new data has suggested.Consumer card spending grew by 4.5% in April compared with the same period last year, the biggest rise since June 2023, the high street bank Barclays found. Non-essential spending, such as on entertainment or takeaway food, rose by 5.1% last month, its highest rate in almost two years. Continue reading...

Development minister will tell MPs that Britain will share incredible expertise' instead of fundingThe days of viewing the UK as a global charity" are over, the new development minister, Jenny Chapman, will tell MPs, in remarks that are likely to prove a controversial defence of the large-scale aid cuts she is about to oversee.Lady Chapman replaced Anneliese Dodds in February after Dodds refused to back Keir Starmer's decision to cut the UK aid budget from 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) to 0.3% in 2027. Continue reading...

Investigation of two further fires comes after blaze at home owned by prime minister early on MondayCounter-terrorism police are investigating three separate fires after a blaze broke out at a home owned by Keir Starmer in the early hours of Monday morning.London fire brigade attended the property in Kentish Town after the fire was reported shortly after 1.30am. The door was damaged but nobody was hurt. Continue reading...