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Simon Case urges ministers to develop new means of launching UK's nuclear deterrent and says the west needs to get our skates on and be ready'The next 20 years will be dominated by conflict between nations, the former head of the civil service has said.Simon Case, who stood down as cabinet secretary in December, made the warning in his first major interview since leaving the job. Continue reading...

Couple caught out after buying fraudulently obtained points from scammer on social mediaHolidaymakers hoping to use frequent flyer points to reduce the cost of their holiday have been warned to beware of fraudsters claiming to sell them on third-party websites.In a case that highlights the dangers of buying points through unofficial channels, a young couple were left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after they were defrauded by a scammer who claimed to be selling them British Airways loyalty points. Continue reading...

A Guardian investigation revealed how hundreds of thousands of people were plunged into debt - and some criminalised - for looking after their loved onesOne February afternoon in 2016, Sir Robert Devereux, at the time the most powerful official in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), was stopped by a junior colleague as he walked through the car park of a civil service office in Preston, Lancashire. Was he aware, the worker asked, about the problems with carer's allowance?Devereux, on a flying visit to the DWP outpost, asked for details and promised to look into it. A few days later, Devereux's office received a long and detailed note, complete with 80 anonymised case studies, setting out how years of shortcomings in the administration of the carer's allowance benefit had wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers' money and inflicted untold hardship and misery on thousands of unpaid carers. Continue reading...

SES warns the worst impacts that people feel are often after the event' as areas reel from devastating' floods

Reform promised much to voters and now runs 8bn worth of public services. After three weeks, what has party accomplished?When Nigel Farage held a victory lap of England after his mammoth local elections win on 1 May, he was characteristically bullish about Reform UK's plan to shake up town halls.The party would send in Elon Musk-style budget-slashing units, he said, while promising to turf out asylum seekers and any civil servants working on climate change or diversity. Continue reading...

Disabled activists say supreme court ruling has left trans community at similar risk of exclusion from public spacesDisabled rights campaigners say they are watching in horror" as the UK's trans community faces similar toilet segregation and exclusion from public spaces that they do.The aftermath of the supreme court ruling on biological sex has led to organisations banning trans people from using the toilets of the gender they live as, with accessible facilities frequently promoted as a solution. Continue reading...

Good Night Scrub park, about an hour from where the 17-year-old was last seen, is crucial' to land, water and aerial search

Social media users are being tricked by false ads advertising fictitious sales - and consumers say the platforms must take action

Rafa Trzaskowski, from the governing pro-EU coalition, faces Eurosceptic populist rightwing historian Karol Nawrocki ahead of run-offPolish presidential candidates offered different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate ahead of next week's run-off, which remains on a knife-edge.During a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, the centrist Warsaw mayor Rafa Trzaskowski, from prime minister Donald Tusk's governing pro-European coalition, faced the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist rightwing Law and Justice party (PiS). Continue reading...

Officials say Michail Chkhikvishvili is the leader of a neo-Nazi group that promotes violence against minoritiesThe leader of an eastern European neo-Nazi group has been extradited to the United States from Moldova following his arrest last summer for allegedly instructing an undercover federal agent to dress as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children and racial minorities, prosecutors said.Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old from the republic of Georgia, was arraigned on Friday before a federal judge in Brooklyn on multiple felonies, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence. Continue reading...

Three pensioners and a man in his 30s jailed as four others convicted of related chargesFour men have been found guilty of breaking into a luxury residence in Paris and stealing jewellery worth millions of euros from the American reality TV star Kim Kardashian when she attended fashion week in 2016.Three pensioners and one man in his 30s were convicted of carrying out the armed heist, which was thought to be the biggest robbery of an individual in France in 20 years. Four other people were found guilty of assisting in the plot or related charges. Two people were acquitted of accusations they handed out information about Kardashian's whereabouts. Continue reading...

Ivy League school filed suit accusing White House of unconstitutional retaliation for defying its demands

Police say six victims critically wounded in attack by 39-year-old assailant in Germany's second-largest cityGerman police have arrested a woman after at least 12 people were injured in a knife attack at the main station in the northern city of Hamburg.Some of the injured sustained life-threatening injuries in the stabbing, emergency services said, although the exact number remained unclear. Continue reading...

Trump's latest tariff threats set the stage for a familiar play - and an inevitable U-turnHere we go again. Donald Trump has unleashed a spate of tariff storms over the past four months. Each has left businesses, in the US and across the world, clearing up the damage - and struggling to see what happens next.The US president conjured up two fresh hurricanes on Friday, threatening the EU, his country's largest collective trading partner, and Apple, one of his country's largest companies, with sweeping duties. Continue reading...

Trump administration's effort to ban foreign enrolment could force students to disrupt their studies and careersBritish and international students at Harvard report growing anxiety" over their fate, as the Trump administration's latest attack on the university could force them to disrupt their studies and careers.On Thursday, the administration said it would revoke Harvard University's eligibility to enrol international students, which was later temporarily frozen by a US federal judge on Friday. Continue reading...

Bertrice Pompe and Bernadette Dugasse won a brief victory in bid to stop transfer of Chagos Islands to MauritiusTwo women who brought an 11th-hour legal challenge to try to stop the UK transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius have accused the government of betrayal.British Chagossians Bertrice Pompe, 54, and Bernadette Dugasse, 68, who were both born on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia, vowed to keep fighting to try to realise their dream of returning to their place of birth. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Flagship policy put back until at least autumn amid fears cost of removing two-child benefit cap will outweigh political benefitLabour's flagship child poverty strategy has been delayed until at least the autumn, the Guardian has learned, even though tens of thousands more children will fall into poverty as a result.The decision to push back the strategy comes amid Treasury concerns about the cost implications of the two-child limit on universal credit and questions inside No 10 over the political benefits of scrapping it. Continue reading...

Firefighters expect to be on scene all weekend at Sanders Lodge site in RushdenA major incident has been declared as firefighters tackled a huge fire at an industrial estate in Northamptonshire.A plume of smoke was billowing over the Sanders Lodge site in the town of Rushden on Friday, leading emergency services to warn people to close their doors and windows as they battled to stop the flames spreading. Continue reading...

Two men linked to Sheikh Hasina prevented from selling properties, including apartments in Grosvenor SquareThe UK's serious and organised crime agency has frozen almost 90m of luxury London property belonging to two men linked to the deposed ruler of Bangladesh.In a development that comes after mounting pressure on the UK to assist Bangladesh in tracing assets linked to the former regime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) obtained nine freezing orders, official records show. Continue reading...

David Parish, 38, was said to be actively psychotic' when he attacked Beryl Purdy at her home in SomersetThe family of an 86-year-old beaten to death in a Somerset village have said her killer has escaped a life sentence" after he was sentenced to six years in prison.David Parish, 38, had been taken to Wellsprings hospital near Taunton but left and made his way to the tiny village of Broomfield, where he killed Beryl Bez" Purdy in her home after trapping her husband, Peter, in the kitchen, Bristol crown court heard. Continue reading...

There were fears latest meeting could collapse but both sides appear willing for more talks on uranium enrichmentTalks between Iran and the US on whether Iran will be allowed to continue to enrich uranium inside the country have ended without an agreement, but apparently without the feared breakdown.The indirect talks between the two sides were mediated by Oman and held in Rome. Continue reading...

The 76-year-old singer has canceled all concerts owing to diagnosis, which can lead to problems with hearing, vision and balance'Billy Joel has canceled all upcoming concerts after he was diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), the singer announced on Friday.The condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance", according to a statement posted to the 76-year-old singer's official Instagram. Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health." Continue reading...

Glamping company Yurtel, whose packages for festival started at 10,000 a head, entered insolvency this monthGlastonbury fans who paid more than 10,000 each for glamping packages have been left out of pocket and face missing the festival after the company through which they booked their tickets entered liquidation.In an email sent to some customers, Yurtel, which provided what it calls a luxury festival experience, said it would be unable to fulfil its future obligations" to them after entering insolvency this month. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader said he'd exchanged contracts' to buy property last November, but it's in name of Laure FerrariNigel Farage claimed with great fanfare last year to have bought a house" in Clacton - but it turns out the substantial detached property is owned in the name of his girlfriend.The Reform UK leader said he had exchanged contracts" to buy the house in Essex last November, saying it should deal with criticism that he does not spend enough time in the constituency. Continue reading...

Defamation suit claims Marubo people were depicted in story as tech-addled and porn-obsessed after introduction of internetAn Indigenous tribe from the Brazilian Amazon has sued the New York Times, saying the newspaper's reporting on the tribe's first exposure to the internet led to its members being widely portrayed as technology-addled and addicted to pornography.The Marubo tribe of the remote Javari valley, a community of about 2,000 people, filed the defamation lawsuit seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages this week in a court in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

UN secretary-general says Israel has only allowed a teaspoon of aid' into the territory after latest strikes

This blog is now closed. Read more of our Middle East coverage hereHere are some of the latest images being sent to us over the newswires from Gaza, where relentless Israeli attacks are continuing to kill civilians across the territory:Aid workers are wrestling with moves by Israel and the US to impose a controversial new aid system for Gaza, which would limit distribution to a few locations and put it under armed private contractors - to prevent theft by Hamas, Israel says. Continue reading...

Monthly publication has been going for 104 years and is seeking increased investment in its digital productsThe Cricketer magazine, a 104-year-old monthly publication that has been edited by some of the game's most notable grandees, is searching for a new owner.The title was founded by the former England captain turned cricket writer Sir Pelham Plum" Warner in 1921, who remained involved until his death in 1963. Other editors have included some of the best known names in cricket writing and broadcasting, including EW Swanton, Christopher Martin-Jenkins and David Frith. Continue reading...

Merz told Xi about the common efforts of Europe and the EU to bring about a quick ceasefire in Ukraine'For more coverage of Trump's tariffs threats - which also include a warning that Apple must pay a 25% tariff unless it manufactures its iPhones in the US - follow our business live blog here:US president Donald Trump has just called the EU very difficult to deal with," lamenting the bloc's powerful Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against American Companies, and more" (original capitalisation!).Our discussions with them are going nowhere!Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. Continue reading...

Tata Consulting Services said to be holding internal inquiry into whether its staff or systems were used to gain access

Site with annual revenues of 1bn in discussions with consortium led by US investment firm Forest Road CompanyThe owner of OnlyFans, the subscription platform used by millions for its adult content, is in talks to sell the UK-based business for $8bn (5.9bn).The site's owner, Fenix International, is in discussions with a consortium led by the US investment firm Forest Road Company (FRC), whose board members include Kevin Mayer, who was an executive at Disney for nearly 15 years and also briefly ran TikTok. Continue reading...

Harry Davies' report on Israeli intelligence agency and columnist Marina Hyde are winners for 2025An investigation into a covert operation by the Mossad to sabotage an international criminal court war crimes investigation is among the Guardian journalism recognised at the UK's Press Awards.The stories by investigations correspondent Harry Davies lifted the lid on the activities of Israel's foreign intelligence agency, which are usually a closely guarded secret. Continue reading...

Advisory position consulting on geopolitical risks would come five years after ex-PM's role in Greensill scandalDavid Cameron is in talks to join the law firm DLA Piper as a consultant - five years after the Greensill scandal that showed he intensively lobbied officials on behalf of his failing employer.The former prime minister, who also served as foreign secretary last year, is said to be having discussions about taking on an advisory position to help the firm with geopolitical risks. Continue reading...

Outgoing Match of the Day host poised to embrace role of media disruptor during Club World Cup but may not suit move to a traditional BBC rivalIt is a scenario straight from the footballing world. A public falling out, leading to a star player becoming a free agent. From the moment Gary Lineker's hastened departure from the BBC was announced this week, after he apologised for amplifying a social media post with antisemitic connotations, speculation began over his next move. In truth, however, the 64-year-old had already been thinking about his plans beyond the broadcaster.This week, industry insiders have been wondering whether the BBC's highest-paid presenter could be the subject of an audacious bid by a rival or be sought after by an overseas network. But Lineker could be working closely with another broadcaster as soon as this summer. Continue reading...

Full distribution of preferences leaves Sydney north shore seat on incredibly tight margin and may even go to a byelection if recount returns similar result

Ex-commander says Kyiv cannot expect to retake lost ground amid efforts to reset public expectationsUkraine's ambassador to the UK has said Kyiv should focus on fighting a hi-tech war of survival" that minimises the loss of its military personnel and not expect to recapture Russian-occupied territory, including Crimea and in the Donbas.The comments by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former head of Ukraine's armed forces, comes during an apparently widespread effort from Ukrainian officials to reset public expectations over the progress of a war that has ground on for more than three years amid fears there is no end in sight to the fighting. Continue reading...

One resignation letter expresses disgust' over library's decision to rescind First Nations author's $15,000 award after arts minister weighs in

Deadly storms batter swaths of US, while heavy rain triggers flooding in south-eastern France and AustraliaSevere thunderstorms have battered parts of the US this week as the storm season reaches its climatological peak. The outbreak began last Friday, with Kentucky and Missouri worst affected.Powerful tornadoes associated with supercell thunderstorms whipped across swaths of the midwest, resulting in 25 deaths. One tornado tore through St Louis, killing seven people. Continue reading...

Transport authorities warn festivalgoers to avoid opening night on Friday. Follow Australia news and NSW floods live updates today.

Rail services not running on sections of Airport and South line as well as Central Coast line with some ferry services cancelled amid wet weather

Sales volumes up 1.2% in April, well ahead of forecasts, as people flock to food and drink outletsSunny spring weather sent shoppers flocking to supermarkets and specialists such as butchers, bakers and alcohol outlets last month, fuelling the strongest quarterly increase in retail sales in Great Britain in almost four years.Retail sales volumes rose by 1.2% in April, well ahead of City economists' forecasts of an increase of between 0.2% and 0.4%, marking the fourth straight month of sales growth. Continue reading...

Deal with US private equity firm will end two years of uncertainty over future of titlesA consortium led by the US private equity company RedBird Capital has agreed to buy the Telegraph for 500m, bringing an end to two years of uncertainty over the future ownership of the titles.The company's founder, Gerry Cardinale, has signed a deal in principle that will result in the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph coming under the ownership of a consortium that includes British investors. Continue reading...

Regulator Ofgem cuts price cap on gas and electricity charges after slump in gas market prices across EuropeEnergy costs will fall for millions of British households this summer after the industry watchdog cut the price cap for a typical annual dual-fuel bill by 7% to 1,720.The energy regulator for Great Britain, Ofgem, said the cap on gas and electricity charges would fall from July by the equivalent of 129 a year for the average home after a sharp slump in Europe's gas market prices. Continue reading...

Robert Morgan is expected to be replaced by the First Nations playwright and creative director Wesley Enoch

Findings surprise Australian researchers, though compatriots score higher on creativity than sheer volumeAustralians' proud reputation as a pack of cunning linguists has taken a hit from a study finding they come only third in the swearing stakes online.The research found Australians were more restrained - online, at least - than potty-mouthed Poms and vulgar Americans. Continue reading...

JU:MP programme included co-design of play spaces, exercise in faith settings and interventions in schoolsA project in the UK which included young people designing their own play spaces has led to what researchers say is the highest increase in children's physical activity ever recorded by an intervention of its kind.The JU:MP programme (Join Us: Move Play) in Bradford, West Yorkshire, recruited children and young people to design play spaces on neglected land near their homes, choosing plants, balance beams, and nature play features, such as stone stacks and earth mounds which encourage imaginative games while keeping maintenance costs down. Continue reading...

Senior Liberals uncomfortable' with precedent set in negotiations, as Turnbull accuses Nationals of holding a gun to the Liberal party's head'

Motoring organisations warn of heavy traffic, and delays and cancellations will hit two rail routes out of LondonThe bank holiday getaway is likely to be a tricky one, with transport analysts predicting congested roads and the year's busiest day so far for departing airports, while long-distance rail passengers dodge the start of more engineering work.Motoring organisations forecast traffic to be at its worst on Friday, with many drivers surveyed apparently taking an extra day off before the long weekend and half-term break for most schools in England and Wales. Continue reading...

EU defence commissioner says he expects a lot of loan requests from member states under 150bn programmeA 150bn (126bn) loans programme to rearm Europe that was finalised this week could be a very important breakthrough" in the EU's military support for Ukraine, the bloc's defence commissioner has said.Andrius Kubilius, a former prime minister of Lithuania who is the EU's first defence commissioner, said he expected a lot of member states to request EU-backed loans under the 150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme, which was approved on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Northern Irish group say charge is political policing' to stop them speaking out about genocide in Gaza'The Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap have claimed a campaign is being mounted to prevent their performance at Glastonbury this summer, at a surprise gig staged a day after one of its members was charged with a terror offence.The group told the crowd at the 100 Club in central London on Thursday night that they were being used as a scapegoat" because they spoke about the genocide [in Gaza]" at Coachella in April. Continue reading...