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Exclusive: Louise Haigh urges Starmer to pick some battles' with the right to demonstrate to voters party is on their sideLouise Haigh has urged Keir Starmer to avoid a simplistic and naive" response by lurching to the right after Reform UK's success in the local elections, in her first interview since being in effect sacked as transport secretary.The former cabinet minister warned the prime minister to pick some battles" with the right as it would not be enough to ask progressive-minded voters to back Labour at the next election just to keep Nigel Farage out of power. Continue reading...

CHPI thinktank found five firms made an eye-watering' 169m in 2023-24, as ministers call for contract capProfits made from treating NHS eye patients by five private firms are so large they equal those made by the 100 with private finance initiative (PFI) hospital contracts, research shows.The disclosure has led to calls for ministers to cap what can be eye-watering" levels of profit made by private operators when they take over key public services. Continue reading...

Such a takeover would be one of biggest deals ever in oil and gas industryShell is talking to advisers about the potential for a takeover of the rival oil producer BP, according to reports.The oil company has been discussing the feasibility and merits of a takeover of BP with its advisers in recent weeks, according to a report from Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...

Too many people at risk of becoming martyrs' by not getting symptoms checked as they do not want to burden health service, report warnsToo many people are at risk of becoming martyrs" by not getting symptoms of cancer checked out because they do not want to burden the NHS, a report warns, which calls for earlier testing to diagnose those at higher risk.The report, by the health consultancy Incisive Health, sets out ways in which the NHS in England can catch more cancers early and thus save lives by becoming more of an early intervention service". It comes as the government draws up its first dedicated cancer strategy since 2015. Continue reading...

Despite relentless commentary about the premier's unpopularity, the state swung even harder to Labor than in 2022, while the Liberal party blame game has begun

Naydene Robinson says she hopes to reach an amicable' settlement that recognises her mother as Lang Hancock's child

The Scottish musician breaks health-related hiatus with gig in support of the suicide prevention charity CalmLewis Capaldi performed on stage for the first time in two years after making a surprise appearance at a charity gig in Edinburgh to raise funds for suicide prevention.He appeared on Friday night at the concert - headlined by Tom Walker and Nina Nesbitt- at Edinburgh Assembly Halls, in aid of the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm). Continue reading...

Andrea Jenkyns says she wants a lean, mean local government' and says she is up for a fight' with unions

Exclusive: BBC presenter warns shared space for national debate' at risk from platforms that fail to challenge leadersFawning and partisan podcasts that give politicians hours of unchallenged airtime pose a danger to democracy, Nick Robinson has said, as he warned that Britain must guard against going down the same polarised route as US media.The BBC presenter said a nostalgia brigade" pining after confrontational television interviews, in which Brian Walden grilled Margaret Thatcher and Jeremy Paxman took on Michael Howard, had lost sight of the real danger in how politicians now used the media. He pointed to partisan or obsequious media platforms that risked damaging a shared space for a national debate". Continue reading...

LA Innocence Project believes evidence shows Peterson is not responsible for killing of pregnant wife Laci in 2002It's been more than 20 years since Scott Peterson was sentenced to death for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci in suburban California. For many, the case was considered open and shut.Then, in late April, the Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP) made a seemingly bombshell announcement. Continue reading...

Victims have had fingers chopped off by attackers in crimewave targeting entrepreneurs and their familiesFrench police are investigating a series of kidnappings of investors linked to cryptocurrency after a 60-year-old man had a finger chopped off by attackers who demanded his crypto-millionaire son pay a ransom.In the latest of several kidnappings of cryptocurrency figures in France and western Europe, the man, who owned a cryptocurrency marketing company with his son, was freed from a house south of Paris on Saturday night. He had been held for more than two days. Continue reading...

US president displays pathological megalomania' as cardinals gather to elect new pope after death of FrancisDonald Trump has been accused of mocking the election of a new leader of the Catholic church after posting an artificial intelligence-generated picture of himself as the pope on social media.The image, shared on Friday night on Trump's Truth Social site and the White House's official X account, raised eyebrows at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning after Pope Francis's funeral on 26 April. Continue reading...

Lawsuit brought under Helms-Burton could spur others pursuing compensation for property seized by CastroLong before it became one of Cuba's most popular tourist destinations in the 1990s, the small island of Cayo Coco, with its pristine beaches and powdery white sands, attracted a different kind of clientele.Inspired by its unspoiled beauty, and his observations of shack-dwelling fishermen scratching out a meager living, Ernest Hemingway set scenes from two of his most famous books there, including the 1952 classic The Old Man and the Sea. Continue reading...

Survivors of abuse in county-run children's homes say closure will not come until monsters' are held accountableThousands of victims of abuse in juvenile facilities and foster homes across Los Angeles are being compensated for decades of mistreatment in a historic settlement, but some say the money will never rectify a system that hurt vulnerable children and protected their abusers.LA county officials this week unanimously approved a landmark $4bn settlement to address nearly 7,000 claims of sexual abuse at county-run facilities. Some of those claims date back to the 1950s, but most took place throughout the 1980s through the 2000s. The payout is the largest of its kind in US history. Continue reading...

Ignorance no barrier as president begins to put out approved version of history that ignores American failuresDonald Trump, it could be said, takes a breezy, Sam Cooke style approach to history.Like the legendary king of soul" in his 1960 hit Wonderful World, the US president has admitted to not knowing much about historical events or figures of the past - even when faced with authorities on the subject. Continue reading...

Move comes as industry grapples with impact of Donald Trump's steep 25% tariffs on imported carsMini owner BMW has ended 180 agency staff contracts at its factory in Oxford as the British car industry grapples with global economic uncertainty and steep US tariffs.Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs in March, hitting all cars imported to the US from overseas from 3 April, in the hope of forcing carmakers to invest in production in America. The tariffs have left British manufacturers who sell large numbers of cars to the US scrambling for a response. Continue reading...

Health secretary asks public to give government time as he calls Farage's party a serious opposition force'

Simon Birmingham backs quotas to preselect women, while Alex Antic says it's time to make the party great again

Exclusive: Proposals to introduce opt-out system of copyright rules no longer preferred option amid criticism from creative industriesMinisters are rethinking changes to copyright law before a vote in parliament next week, in a further concession to artists, the Guardian has learned.A source close to Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, said proposals to introduce an opt-out system of copyright rules was no longer his preferred option but one of several being given consideration. Continue reading...

Party for renters' sees positive Senate results and welcomes most progressive parliament Australia has ever made' but loss of Queensland seats prompts questions

Anthony Albanese gets back to work after celebratory brunch in Sydney - saying, We've got a big job to do'

George Simion, 38, comfortably ahead in polls as first round of voting begins in presidential electionRomanians are voting in a presidential election rerun that could propel to power an ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, has fiercely criticised the EU's leadership and describes himself as a natural ally" of Donald Trump.George Simion, 38, is comfortably ahead in the opinion polls before the first-round vote in the EU and Nato member state, nearly six months after the original ballot was cancelled amid evidence of an alleged massive" Russian influence campaign. Continue reading...

Erika', 24, gained public attention after lawyer said federal agents denied him access to her in a Tucson hospitalA Guatemalan immigrant who crossed the US border eight months pregnant and gave birth in Arizona has avoided fast-track deportation after intervention by the state's governor, her lawyer and a federal official said on Saturday.The 24-year-old woman gained public attention after lawyer Luis Campos said federal agents had denied him access to her in a Tucson hospital after she gave birth on Wednesday and told him she was set for rapid removal after entering the country illegally. Continue reading...

Turkish president at odds with thousands of Turkish Cypriots who object to his attempts to undermine their secular way of lifeTurkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, has warned protesters in breakaway northern Cyprus not to sow seeds of hatred" amid mounting discord over Ankara's perceived attempts to Islamise one of the world's most secular Muslim societies.In a whirlwind visit to the Turkish-occupied territory on Saturday the leader had tough words for Turkish Cypriots who have stepped up demonstrations against policies he openly endorses, not least a controversial law allowing headscarves to be worn in schools. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage warns employees working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek alternative careers'The head of the UK's biggest union has urged staff at Reform UK-controlled councils to sign up after Nigel Farage warned workers to seek alternative careers".Farage said during a speech on Friday that he would advise council staff working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek alternative careers very, very quickly" after Reform UK took control of Durham county council. Continue reading...

Three girls and 11 boys, all aged 11-14, arrested by Northumbria police on suspicion of manslaughterFourteen children aged between 11 and 14 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the death of a boy following a fire in Gateshead, Northumbria police said on Saturday.The children - 11 boys and three girls - were all under arrest and in custody, police said.Anyone who has information that could help the investigation has been urged to contact Northumbria police by sending a direct message on social media or by using the live chat" or report" functions on the force's website. Continue reading...

Expert testifying for the defense acknowledged that Memphis officers' blows had been unnecessaryA police training expert testifying on Saturday as a defense witness in the trial of three former Memphis officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols acknowledged that kicks and punches to Nichols' head were unnecessary and excessive.Don Cameron took the stand on the sixth day of the trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder. They already face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year. Continue reading...

Actor joins four days of national events including concerts, church services and a military procession in LondonEighty years after Winston Churchill addressed the nation from Downing Street with the words This is your victory!" a recitation of his famous VE Day speech will be broadcast as the nation commemorates the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945.Events across four days of national UK commemorations include a military procession through central London on Monday, with tens of thousands expected to line the route from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace, and a service at Westminster Abbey on the 8 May anniversary on Thursday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Consumer advocates call for crackdown on fraudulent players' as Guardian Australia finds scores of sites masquerading as local businesses

Man detained on suspicion of attempted murder following two incidents about two miles apartA driver has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after four people were injured in two separate collisions in Rochdale, police have said.A woman was airlifted to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries after she was hit by a car in Whitworth Road and three pedestrians, including a child, were injured in Woodgate Avenue, about two miles away. Continue reading...

People's Action party retains majority, with sample counts showing it winning all but 10 seats in 97-seat legislatureSingapore's ruling party has notched a resounding win in general elections, official results have shown, giving the prime minister, Lawrence Wong, the clear mandate he sought from voters.Wong's long-ruling People's Action party crossed the threshold of 49 seats early on Sunday to form a majority government in the wealthy city-state's 97-seat unicameral legislature, with sample counts earlier showing the PAP winning all but 10 seats. Continue reading...

Ahmad bin Mubarak says he was not able to take the decisions he needed to or to fully exercise his powersAhmad bin Mubarak, the premier of Yemen's internationally recognised government, has announced his resignation saying he was unable to fully exercise his powers.Bin Mubarak had been entangled in bitter disputes for months with Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), two ministers and a member of the PLC told AFP. Continue reading...

Labour's Luke Charters says allowing alcohol in the top five tiers of the men's game would be the modern approach'A Labour MP has called for trials to assess the impact of lifting a decades-long ban on drinking alcohol in football stands.York Outer MP Luke Charters said football needs to take a modern approach" to the issue in a debate on the football governance bill earlier this week. Continue reading...

Mohsen Mahdawi, student detained by Ice last month, pens blistering attack on Trump's deportation policiesMohsen Mahdawi, the Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia University student freed on Wednesday after more than two weeks in immigration detention, has issued a stark warning about the US's descent into authoritarianism.Once the repression of dissent, in the name of security, becomes a key objective of a government, authoritarian rule and even martial law are not far off. When they look at my case, all Americans should ask themselves: what is left of our democracy, and who will be targeted next?" said Mahddawi in an op-ed for the New York Times. Continue reading...

The Reform UK leader has somehow dodged responsibility for the economic damage of Brexit and is winning over disaffected Labour votersThere was a time when any election campaign featuring the name Nigel Farage would have featured the word Brexit" just as prominently.And yet, almost a decade after Farage orchestrated Britain's great EU schism, and with the Reform leader emerging as a bigger political threat than ever, at this week's local elections Brexit was not a word on the lips of voters. Continue reading...

Over five-year period Oksana Shahar - who cares for her son - was paid a small amount more than carer's allowance earnings limits allowIt was three weeks after Christmas when the bombshell letter arrived. Guy Shahar and his wife, Oksana, looked at each other in stunned disbelief.They had followed the Guardian's investigation into the carer's allowance scandal that has left thousands of families with crippling debts and criminal records. Not once did they think they would join them. Continue reading...

Despite predictions of an inevitable slide into minority for Labor, Anthony Albanese's election victory demonstrated voters aren't interested in appeals to the fringes

Exclusive: Ministers understood to be drafting white paper this month in move to reduce legal migrationMinisters will crack down on international students applying for asylum in the UK in a move designed to tackle migration figures, after a series of bruising losses to Reform in the local elections.An immigration white paper setting out the proposed reforms in mid-May will include measures to bring down the numbers of UK student visa holders who make asylum claims, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

The Australian prime minister is the first to be re-elected since John Howard - and becomes one of Labor's biggest heroes

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on the local elections here:

Opposition leader Peter Dutton fails to dissociate himself from Trump-like rhetoric and policies - and loses his seat

The Coalition hoped its path to victory this election would lead through the southern state, but instead it has been left with a bare handful of seats

Prime minister acknowledges traditional owners and says Australians had chosen optimism after Coalition leader loses Dickson. Follow today's news live

Dan Tehan and Andrew Hastie also contenders as treasurer Jim Chalmers says Taylor largely to blame for Coalition's defeat

Greens suffer setbacks as teal independents Allegra Spender, Zoe Daniel, Monique Ryan and Zali Steggall see off intense campaigns from Liberals, while Nicolette Boele leads in Bradfield

Bureij, Beit Lahiya, Gaza City and Khan Younis hit as Israeli government prepares to expand offensiveIsraeli airstrikes have killed at least 40 people across Gaza during the past 24 hours, civil defence officials in the devastated Palestinian territory said, as Israel's government prepared to order an expansion of its military offensive.Nine people were killed when a strike hit a home in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza; another six people died in a separate strike targeting a family home in the northern city of Beit Lahiya; six more died in a strike on a community kitchen in Gaza City, and an overnight attack on the Khan Younis refugee camp killed at least 11 people including three babies up to a year old, the officials said. Continue reading...

Peter Dutton loses own seat of Dickson in Brisbane as Coalition suffers stunning collapse in support

Papal electors gossip in bars and restaurants and try to avoid journalists seeking clues to Pope Francis's successorSome journalists brave the warm spring sun, others seek respite in the shade of the Vatican's colonnades. Whatever their strategy, the aim is the same: to spot the red-capped cardinals emerging from Synod Hall and try to elicit from them a clue as to who will succeed Pope Francis.The men responsible for picking a new pontiff are enjoying rock-star status in Rome this week as they prepare for conclave: the secret, centuries-old ritual of electing a leader of the Catholic church that is due to begin on 7 May. Continue reading...

It's easier to list the things that work than the things that don't', said one worker, but customers are impressed by staff resilience and analysts believe the retailer will bounce backUnusual activity on tech systems over the Easter weekend was the first sign of a sustained cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer, which is costing the retailer millions of pounds a day.The group, the UK's biggest clothing retailer which accounts for a third of underwear sales alongside food and homewares, has now been forced to stop taking online orders for more than a week - with little hope of rebooting them in the short term. Stores are struggling to keep shelves full with automated stock systems offline and at one point this week staff were manually checking fridge temperatures owing to concerns about digital monitoring systems. Continue reading...

The 49-year-old disability advocate is the first person to unseat an opposition leader at an election