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Site likely to create 1,000-plus jobs as AESC wins 680m from UK government plus 320m in private finance and equityJapan's AESC has announced it will build a second gigafactory in Sunderland to produce electric vehicle batteries, after it secured a 1bn debt funding deal backed by a 680m guarantee from the UK government.The National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance, both state bodies, will provide financial guarantees that unlock the 680m in financing for the battery maker. A further 320m in debt funding will come from private financing as well as new equity from the business. Continue reading...

Katrin Ivanova's barrister says her sentence should reflect her admin duties and not equate her with classic spy cases'A woman said to be chief minion" in a ring of Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia in Britain should not be treated like George Blake, the double agent sentenced to four decades in jail in the 1960s, the Old Bailey has heard.Katrin Ivanova was said by her barrister, Rupert Bowers KC, to have been manipulated by her partner, Biser Dzhambazov, and to then have endured the discovery of his affair with a fellow member of the spy ring while in prison. Continue reading...

Groups say plan to resume limited humanitarian assistance under strict Israeli rules risks enabling war crimes'

Airline assesses options but there is no automatic form of recovery from insurers or the airport

Exclusive: University College London acquires Gollancz archive that was in danger of being dispersed foreverGeorge Orwell's correspondence, contracts and readers' reports relating to his earliest novels are among historic papers that have been saved for the nation after an outcry over their initial dispersal.University College London (UCL) said it had acquired the archive of the Nineteen Eighty-Four author's publisher as a valuable piece of Britain's cultural heritage". Continue reading...

Two Ukrainians arrested as authorities claim operation had one eye on a possible future military incursion

First woman and first African American to hold post dismissed in terse email on Thursday night

Dylan Tippetts of Plymouth resigns from party that does not support my fundamental rights'

Pope held mass for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday morning

Crowning of country's first world champion set to give fresh boost to sport that has boomed in popularity in ChinaChain smoking under the fluorescent lights of a cavernous billiards hall in Beijing, Brother Yuan can't stop smiling. The previous day, along with 150 million other people across China, he had been at home watching the snooker world championships final. Now he's with his fellow cue-heads, celebrating the win of China's first snooker world champion, Zhao Xintong.He's a great role model for young people in China," Yuan, 55, says of the generation Z upstart who on Monday claimed snooker's top prize. He's bringing the excitement back." Continue reading...

Supplier says deal is its cheapest fixed tariff since 2021 amid ongoing volatility in the gas and electricity marketHouseholds in Great Britain have been grappling with high energy bills for four years but attractive fixed deals that are 300 cheaper than the current price cap are now available.This week, EDF launched its cheapest fixed tariff since 2021", describing it as the best energy-only deal available from a big six" supplier. The 12-month tariff, Simply Fixed Direct May26, is priced at 1,549 for an average dual-fuel customer paying by direct debit. This is 300 below the regulator Ofgem's latest price cap. Continue reading...

Man, who police say is a family member, granted bail after being charged nearly two years since boy's death

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Former Coalition minister Dan Tehan rules himself out of Liberal race as Jacinta Nampijinpa Price insists she wanted to defect from Nationals in a respectful way'

This blog has now closed. Our live updates coverage on Pope Leo XIV's first full day in office has moved here.Historically, some of the conclaves were really drawn out: in 13th century, they needed three years, over 1,000 days, to choose Gregory X.There was also one that ended on the first day, when Julius II in 1503 was elected after just 10 hours. Continue reading...

Local mayor says inner west GreenWay and new Metro line will be truly transformative', getting people out of cars on to bikes, scooters and walking

Decision announced at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where all finalists will be exhibited to the public from Saturday

Melbourne was barely on the ALP's radar as a seat it could win - but a sparsely funded campaign proved powerful

Leo XIV is a fan of Tim Tams but not Vegemite, one church leader says, and is humble' and gentle'

Announcement makes UK the first country to agree deal with US since Trump imposed sweeping tariffs in April

Trusts having to think the previously unthinkable' to make savings demanded by new NHS England bossHospitals in England are cutting staff, closing services and planning to ration care in order to make eye-watering" savings demanded by NHS bosses.Rehabilitation centres face being shut, talking therapies services cut and beds for end-of-life care reduced as part of efforts by England's 215 NHS trusts to comply with a financial reset".47% were cutting services and another 43% were considering doing so.37% were cutting clinical posts and a further 40% may follow suit.26% were closing some services and 55% more may do so. Continue reading...

Lai Ching-te says message of history is clear' as Taiwan for first time officially commemorates end of second world warTaiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, has compared his nation to the European countries heading for conflict with Nazi Germany in the 1930s, in a punchy speech commemorating the end of the second world war in Europe.Eighty years after the end of the European war, the message of history is clear. Today, 80 years later, we share the same values and face similar challenges as many of the democracies that participated in the European war," Lai said to a group of foreign dignitaries gathered in Taipei. Continue reading...

Leo XIV celebrated as second Latin American pope having spent many years in Peru's churchThe election of Pope Leo XIV has been celebrated across Latin America, where many hailed him as the second pontiff from the region, following his Argentinian predecessor, Francis.The news prompted particular elation in Peru, where he lived and worked for more than 20 years and was granted citizenship in 2015. In the capital, Lima, the bells of the cathedral rang in celebration.

Charles says sacrifice of second world war heroes must not be in vainKing Charles called for a renewal of global commitments to restoring a just peace where there is war, to diplomacy and to the prevention of conflict", as the UK marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.Westminster Abbey was the focal point for national commemorations with a service of thanksgiving weaving poignant reminders of wartime deprivation and loss with the hopes for the future that historic day had promised. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest reporting on the Kashmir crisis here:

Some users wonder whether new pope has had Chicago's favorite liqueur Malort while others reference The BearThe internet exploded with humor and Chicago pride on Thursday following the historic announcement that Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old American clergyman from Chicago, has been named the new pope.Now known as Pope Leo XIV, Prevost has become the first clergyman from the United States to lead the Roman Catholic church, ending the Vatican's longstanding opposition to the idea of a US pontiff. Continue reading...

The film-maker, whose credits also included many Madonna music videos, died of brain cancerDirector James Foley, whose credits included Glengarry Glen Ross and the Fifty Shades sequels, has died aged 71.According to the Hollywood Reporter, his death was confirmed by his representative who said he died peacefully in his sleep earlier this week following a years-long struggle with brain cancer". Continue reading...

Pakistan tried to hit Indian-administered Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, according to India, which reported no losses'

Prince Harry and King Charles will need to put past grievances to one side if they are to move on from their estrangementFor most families, fallouts and squabbles are a regular occurrence. But what happens when those rifts deepen to an estrangement, such as appears to have beset the royal family and the Beckhams, and how can relationships be rebuilt?According to the following psychologists and psychotherapists, family reconciliation requires both sides taking accountability for their behaviour and not letting past grievances and trauma block efforts to meaningfully re-engage with estranged relatives. Continue reading...

City official says it will not comply with request seeking to impose Donald Trump's rollback of diversity measuresA city official in Stockholm has said the municipality has no plans to comply after one of its offices received a letter seeking to impose Donald Trump's rollback of diversity measures, in what is believed to be the first such missive sent to a foreign government.It's so bizarre," said Jan Valeskog, Stockholm's vice-mayor for planning. It's our political priorities that count, not the ones from this embassy or any other embassies." Continue reading...

The deal definitely puts the UK in a better position, but its impact on the wider economy might be limited

Car exports will face 10% tariffs while levies on steel and aluminium are cut to zero

Mauritshuis in The Hague says guarantees would be needed of artworks' safety amid uncertainty caused by US funding cutsA leading museum in the Netherlands has said it is reconsidering lending works from its collection to museums in the US amid the uncertainty wreaked by Donald Trump's funding cuts and ideological impositions.Martine Gosselink, the director of the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, whose collection includes Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, said the turmoil had left her team wary of lending pieces to the US. Continue reading...

Commemorations take place across the UK and Europe against backdrop of Ukraine conflictAnother from the Guardian archive:St Peter Port, Guernsey Continue reading...

Office for Students says declining international student numbers will lead to more cuts on campusUniversities in England have experienced a fall in income for the third year in a row, according to the higher education regulator, as it warned that declining international student numbers would translate into more cuts on campuses.The Office for Students' (OfS) annual financial health check found that many universities were trying to repair budget deficits by slashing building and maintenance spending as well as cutting courses and staff, with the sector expected to sell off more than 400m worth of land and property this year. Continue reading...

Chinese leader describes talks as friendly and fruitful' during visit for Victory Day commemorationsXi Jinping and Vladimir Putin exchanged warm words in the Kremlin on Thursday during a grand ceremony welcoming the Chinese leader for his 11th visit to Russia, ahead of a military parade to mark 80 years since the end of the second world war.After nearly four hours of talks, Xi described his meeting with his Russian counterpart as in-depth, friendly and fruitful". Continue reading...

Nicola Packer, 45, was prescribed medication but was accused of believing she was more than 10 weeks pregnantA woman has been cleared of illegally terminating a pregnancy, after taking abortion pills during lockdown.Nicola Packer, 45, took the pills at home in November 2020. She had been prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol after a remote consultation. Continue reading...

South Korean skincare retailers want to capitalise on viral sales of beauty ranges by opening stores across the UKKorean beauty products are moving from phone screens to UK high streets as social media drives sales of skincare with the help of eye-catching ingredients such as snail slime and salmon sperm.Retailers are looking to capitalise on the TikTok and Instagram trend for skincare and makeup ranges from South Korea - known as K-beauty - by opening physical stores and launching brands in a push to get consumers to pick up products that havegone viral online. Continue reading...

Likes of Lyse Doucet and Jonathan Dimbleby say they have at times turned away from current affairsShe is perhaps the UK's most prominent war correspondent, broadcasting from the world's toughest regions, interpreting its most intractable and bloody conflicts. Yet, like many others when the news agenda is so tough, even Lyse Doucet has said she finds herself tempted to turn off.I just want to say as a broadcaster that even though I'm on one side of the microphone and you're on the other, that I too have been turning away from news and listening to Radio 3 instead of Radio 4, because the news is difficult," said Doucet, the BBC's chief international correspondent, as she picked up an award last week. We all think: Oh, it's so depressing. It's so gloomy.'" Continue reading...

RTE asks European Broadcasting Union to discuss matter after 72 former contestants call for Israel's exclusionIreland's public broadcaster has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for a discussion about Israel's inclusion in the Eurovision song contest, as 72 former contestants called for the Israeli broadcaster Kan to be banned from next week's event in the Swiss city of Basel.The director general of Ireland's RTE, Kevin Bakhurst, said in a statement on Wednesday that he was appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages". Continue reading...

Matildas captain shares Instagram post welcoming couple's first childSam Kerr and her partner, Kristie Mewis, have announced the birth of their first child.In an Instagram post on Thursday, the Matildas captain wrote: Our little man is here, Jagger Mewis-Kerr." Continue reading...

Northern Territory senator switches from Nationals to Liberals where she believes she can be more effective' in fighting for best interests of all Australians'

Suspicious activity ruled out after investigation into blaze that left London hub and homes without power

Grammy-nominated and chart-topping singer says he has no fear' of illness in kidney and lungBrad Arnold, the frontman with chart-topping US rock band 3 Doors Down, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer.The singer said he has kidney cancer that has spread to his lungs. He discovered the illness after feeling unwell in recent weeks, then I went to the hospital and got checked out and actually got the diagnosis that I had a renal carcinoma that had metastasised into my lung". Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Announcement comes at time of change for party as deputy leader Zack Polanski launches leadership bid with eco-populism' vision

No 10 says prime minister will give update later after Donald Trump said he was ready to announce major trade deal'Keir Starmer will make a statement on trade talks with the US on Thursday amid reports the UK has reached an agreement with Donald Trump.The agreement, which the two leaders are expected to unveil later in the day, is likely to focus on lowering US tariffs on specific products, such as British steel, aluminium and cars. Continue reading...

Jury in Western Australia finds two men guilty of 15-year-old's murder and another guilty of manslaughter

Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updates

A nine-year-old boy is believed to have died in the fire while girls aged four and seven died later in hospital from critical burns