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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...

Research also shows deprived areas have up to 25 times as many bookmakers and pawnbrokers as affluent high streetsThe number of vape shops on high streets across England has increased by almost 1,200% over the past decade, while deprived areas have up to 25 times as many bookmakers and pawnbrokers as affluent ones, according to research.In 2014, only 33.8% of 317 local authorities in England had a vape shop, rising to 97.2% in 2024. Similarly, in 2014 less than 1% of local authorities in England had 10 or more vape shops, rising to 28% in 2024. Continue reading...

Committee says Karen Kneller's position no longer tenable in damning report on miscarriage of justice watchdogThe miscarriage of justice watchdog for England, Wales and Northern Ireland has continually failed to learn from its mistakes and its chief executive should follow the organisation's chair out the door, MPs have said.In a damning report on the leadership of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the House of Commons justice committee said Karen Kneller had provided it with unpersuasive evidence and her position was no longer tenable. Continue reading...

Popular stop on M5 tops Which? survey with Tebay second, while Bridgwater is judged the worst with one-star ratingThere are less than 80 miles between them, but the gulf in quality is massive, according to a Which? survey that ranked Gloucester services top of the stops, and Bridgwater bottom.For many people motorway service stations are a place to take a break, grab a snack and use the toilet, but the rankings from the consumer recommendation group, which surveyed users of nearly 100 service stations across Great Britain, highlight the best and worst. Continue reading...

Microsoft president declares victory' in Call of Duty maker deal as FTC chair says case doesn't fit with Trump's agendaThe US Federal Trade Commission dropped a case that sought to block Microsoft's $69bn purchase of the Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, saying on Thursday that pursuing the case against the long-closed deal was not in the public interest.Andrew Ferguson, the FTC chair, is seeking to use the agency's resources for cases that fit with Donald Trump's agenda, such as an investigation related to whether advertisers colluded to spend less on X. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the Israel-Gaza war, read our full report:

Scott Mescudi said his Porsche was set on fire with a molotov cocktail on day nine of Combs's trial in New YorkScott Mescudi, known as the rapper Kid Cudi, testified on Thursday in the federal racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking trial of music mogul Sean Diddy" Combs, alleging that Combs broke into his home in 2011 after discovering that he was dating Combs's on-again, off-again girlfriend, the singer Casandra Cassie" Ventura, and told the court how a molotov cocktail was thrown at his car a few weeks later.Combs, 55, faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September, and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Continue reading...

Whoever leaked deputy PM's memo to the Telegraph, some believe it will have helped her leadership chancesWhat is Angela Rayner up to? To every Labour MP reading the leaked memo in the Daily Telegraph setting out the deputy prime minister's alternative tax-raising measures, it felt like firing the starting gun on a race to succeed Keir Starmer as leader.It has infuriated Starmer loyalists because of long memories of the breakdown in relations after Labour lost the Hartlepool byelection just a year into Starmer's leadership, when he considered quitting and allies of Rayner encouraged her to stand against him. Starmer then attempted to demote her, leading to a fierce standoff and Rayner emerging with a clutch of new job titles. Continue reading...

Pop star recognised for sharp yet candid songcraft on Brat, but loses best album category to Berwyn at awards honouring songwriting excellenceCharli xcx continues her victory lap after the success of her zeitgeist-grabbing 2024 album Brat, winning songwriter of the year at the Ivor Novello awards, which honour the best in British and Irish songwriting and screen composition.Brat marked a career high for the British pop artist, topping the UK charts and reaching No 3 in the US, and earning huge praise for Charli's sardonic yet soul-baring lyrics. She won five Brit awards earlier this year, the second-highest number of wins in one night in the awards' history, as well as three Grammys. Continue reading...

Other NHS staff decry their award, with teachers angered that part of their pay rise will come from school budget

Speaking at book festival in east Sussex, former supreme court president says reaction to judgment very binary'The supreme court's ruling that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex has been misinterpreted", Lady Hale has said.Speaking at the Charleston literary festival in east Sussex, the first female president of the supreme court said the last thing she wants now that she has retired is to undermine the court and its authority by being critical of its decisions". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Contributors to Gaza: Medics Under Fire may withdraw consent due to BBC's delays to broadcast itDoctors and whistleblowers who featured in a much-delayed Gaza documentary that the corporation was accused of censoring by Susan Sarandon, Gary Lineker and other cultural figures, are threatening to withdraw their consent due to the continued refusal to broadcast the film.This month it emerged that the BBC had shelved broadcasting Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which was ready to air in February, until it finishes investigating a separate, unrelated film called Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which was pulled from iPlayer after it emerged its young narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Continue reading...

Leading figures say compulsory program is ethically unsound' and would be challenged in courts

Shadow defence secretary attacks PM's assertion that opponents of the deal were on the side of Russia and ChinaThe Conservatives are taking the credit for the near-50% fall in net migration. They say it is the changes to visa rules that they introduced that brought the numbers down.This is from Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary.Net migration has halved - dropped by 430,000 - in 2024 compared to 2023This is thanks to measures put in place by the last Conservative GovernmentThis drop is because of the visa rule changes that I put in place.Labour will try to claim credit for these figures but they criticised me at the time, and have failed to fully implement the changes. Continue reading...

Office for National Statistics estimate shows fall from 860,000 in 2023 to 431,000 last year

Steepest drop in nearly eight months as club misses out on lucrative place in next season's Champions LeagueManchester United shares have slumped after the football club was defeated in the final of Europe's second-tier tournament, which will ultimately lead to 100m in lost revenues.United lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Uefa Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday night, dealing a further blow to its billionaire owners, the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It means the club has failed to qualify for next season's lucrative Uefa Champions League, Europe's top-tier football competition. Continue reading...

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were shot dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday nightThe two victims of the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday night have been identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two employees of the Israeli embassy.The country's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, told reporters the two were in a relationship and Lischinsky had purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem". Continue reading...

Celia Ramos was one of thousands of women subjected to government's brutal policy in the 1990s. A ruling by the inter-American court of human rights could open way for reparationsThe case of a forced sterilisation carried out in Peru in the 1990s will be heard by an international court on Thursday, 28 years after the procedure - one of many thousands - resulted in a woman's death.Celia Ramos was 34 when she died in 1997, 19 days after surgery for a tubal ligation caused respiratory failure. The mother of three was harassed" into accepting the procedure, which was part of a nationwide family planning programme. Continue reading...

Friedrich Merz visits Lithuania to mark the official formation of Germany's first permanent overseas military unit since the second world warPortugal wants European energy regulators' agency ACER to lead an independent investigation into the causes of the huge power outage that brought most of Spain and Portugal to a standstill last month, its acting energy minister told Reuters.Maria da Graca Carvalho said prime minister Luis Montenegro wants an independent investigation led by the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators to complement the technical report being prepared by the European network of transmission system operators ENTSO-E. Continue reading...

Northern Irish trio say charge against Liam Og O hAnnaidh is intended to stifle criticism of Israel's war in GazaThe Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap have described a terror offence charge against one of their members as political policing" that is intended to stifle criticism of Israel's war in Gaza.14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us," the group said in a statement on X on Thursday. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story, genocide is." Continue reading...