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BBC host says he would never knowingly share anything antisemitic' and deleted post on learning it was offensiveGary Lineker has issued an unreserved apology for amplifying online material with antisemitic connotations, after reposting a video that criticised Zionism and included an illustration of a rat.The outgoing Match of the Day presenter said he would never knowingly share anything antisemitic", adding he had deleted the Instagram post as soon as I became aware of the issue". The image of the rat was historically an antisemitic insult and used in Nazi Germany to characterise Jews. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Six-week deliberation asked for by Commons committee expected to be granted after internal backlashThe UK's equality watchdog is expected to give in to demands that it allow more time to consider its formal guidance on the supreme court ruling about gender issues, after what sources say has been a big backlash from staff and stakeholders.Some insiders believe the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) may be forced into a U-turn on its initial response, which was criticised as overly literal in defining how organisations should respond to the court decision that woman" in the Equality Act refers only to a biological woman. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say men intended to attack German cargo transport by sending packages that would explode in transit

Dead include those killed in a strike on the European hospital complex near Khan Younis

MP accuses ex-colleagues of attempt to silence him as CPS says it will not charge him over allegations of verbal threatsThe former Reform MP Rupert Lowe has accused his ex-colleagues of a sinister" attempt to use the police to silence him, as he launched a furious attack on Nigel Farage who he said must never be prime minister".Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth who now sits as an independent, made the remarks after the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it would not bring criminal charges over allegations that Lowe made verbal threats in parliament last December. Continue reading...

European court of justice says no plausible explanation' given for denying New York Times access to texts from pandemicThe EU's highest court has cancelled a decision to withhold Ursula von der Leyen's text messages with a pharmaceutical executive during the pandemic, in a significant defeat for the commission president.The European court of justice on Wednesday annulled a decision taken by the European Commission in November 2022 to deny the New York Times access to the messages, after a freedom of information request by the paper. Continue reading...

Bombardment signals new escalation after Netanyahu said Israel would go in with full force to complete the operation'

Offenders in England and Wales to have sentences cut for good behaviour and completion of work, training or education tasksPrisoners will be able to earn their freedom after serving a third of their sentences under new minimum and maximum sentence plans released by the government to tackle the overcrowding in jails.Offenders in England and Wales will be able to earn early release if they complete work, training or education assignments and demonstrate good behaviour before being freed. Continue reading...

Group in recovery phase' and working closely with suppliers after customers complain of empty shelvesThe Co-op has said that stock availability in its stores will not improve until this weekend, as it struggles to recover from a cyber-attack two weeks ago.The grocery to funerals mutual said it was in the recovery phase" and working closely with our suppliers to restock our stores" after bringing its stock ordering system back online. The system was closed down as part of efforts to fend off the cyber-attack. Continue reading...

UCL study of 9,000 children also found marked inequality, with people from ethnic minority backgrounds having higher exposure riskYoung children who are exposed to high levels of air pollution are more likely to experience poor health outcomes in later adolescence, according to new research.The study, conducted by academics at University College London, looked at data from 9,000 young people taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study between 2000 and 2002 across the UK, measuring their exposure to various types of air pollutants including PM2.5, PM10 and NO2. Continue reading...

The 1% climb in real pay was the fastest in five years, and twice the five-year average leading into the pandemic

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Victorian jury also sees images appearing to show accused disposing of food dehydrator at tip, and hears from expert who examined lunch leftovers

Alec McKinlay adds that reunion tour, set to begin on 4 July in Cardiff, is very much the last time around'Oasis's co-manager has said the band have no plans for new music, and that their 2025 reunion tour will be their last.Speaking to Music Week, Alec McKinlay said: This is very much the last time around, as Noel's made clear in the press. It's a chance for fans who haven't seen the band to see them, or at least for some of them to ... there's no plan for any new music." Continue reading...

Judge appears baffled that police force, which admits search of Raya Meredith was unlawful and unjustified, nevertheless claims it was objectively necessary'

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A ghost story - unusual subject matter for the late author of political thrillers - features alongside little-known Ian Fleming storyA short ghost story by Graham Greene described by analysts as an eerie gem" was published for the first time on Wednesday, a rare glimpse into the largely uncelebrated darker side of one of the giants of 20th-century literature.Reading at Night appears in the 75th issue of Strand Magazine, a New York literary quarterly that has built a reputation for finding and publishing lost" writings of well-known authors. Continue reading...

Koreans hope politics can return to a focus on record high youth unemployment and a cost of living crisis after impeachment dramaAfter the unprecedented turmoil of the past six months, South Koreans could be forgiven for breathing a collective sigh of relief that the political focus has shifted from an impeachment crisis to economic policy ahead of next month's presidential election.The economy is expected to dominate the campaign to elect a new president on 3 June, after the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, whose declaration of martial law in December triggered the South's most serious political crisis for decades. Continue reading...

Istanbul landmark's most extensive works in years will include efforts to prevent earthquake damageStanding beneath the stone archways, grand murals and filagree lamps of the Hagia Sophia, the architect Hasan Frat Diker reflects on his vocation: the protection of a fragile structure that is both Turkey's grandest mosque and perhaps its most contentious building. He is overseeing some of the most intense restoration and preservation works in the Hagia Sophia's nearly 1,500-year history, including efforts to strengthen its grand central dome and protect it from earthquakes.We are not just responsible for this building but to the entire world public," Diker said, gesturing at the crowds of visitors kneeled on the plush turquoise carpets or gazing at the murals of feathered seraphim. He pointed up at the gold mosaic and blue mural interior of the main dome, what he describes as one of the many unsolved problems" of the Hagia Sophia's design. Continue reading...

The French study of 15,000 people shows men emit 26% more pollution due to eating red meat and driving moreCars and meat are major factors driving a gender gap in greenhouse gas emissions, new research suggests.Men emit 26% more planet-heating pollution than women from transport and food, according to a preprint study of 15,000 people in France. The gap shrinks to 18% after controlling for socioeconomic factors such as income and education. Continue reading...

Two reports published today catalogue gruesome yet avoidable accidents' on construction sites despite the Gulf kingdom's claims that work-related deaths have fallenThousands of migrant workers are likely to die in Saudi Arabia as a result of a building boom fuelled by the 2034 World Cup and other major construction projects, human rights groups have warned.The Gulf kingdom has seen a surge in demand for cheap migrant labour, with a significant increase in foreign workers since 2021, as it starts preparations for hosting the World Cup and drives forward projects including the futurist megacity Neom. Continue reading...

Declassified documents reveal secret support by intelligence agencies without oversight by elected politiciansA secret coalition of western intelligence agencies supplied Israel with crucial information that allowed the Mossad to track and kill Palestinians suspected of involvement in terrorist attacks in western Europe in the early 1970s, newly declassified documents have revealed.The support was offered without any oversight by parliaments or elected politicians, and, if not actually illegal, would have caused a public scandal. Continue reading...

Climate change and energy minister accuses Sussan Ley's Coalition of keeping the climate wars going' with decision to review net zero stance

Day after stating Joel Cauchi's attack was likely due to his hatred towards women', Dr A tells inquest I shouldn't have speculated'

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'

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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...