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Food and Drug Administration commissioner's decisions have hurt staff morale and put his job in crosshairsDonald Trump has signed off on a plan to fire Marty Makary, the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, after a series of high-profile agency decisions put the FDA head in the crosshairs of the White House and Republican lawmakers.Makary's tenure at the FDA has been marked by several controversial decisions on drugs and vaccines amid plummeting staff morale over layoffs and the appointments of divisive officials. Recent political clashes include abortion, drugs and vaping, but decisions to pull back publications on the safety of shingles and Covid vaccines, among other immunization decisions, have also rocked public health. There have also been concerns about the transition from two clinical trials to one, the commissioner's new priority review vouchers and data-free" regulatory decisions. Continue reading...

Judges have been fired or taken buyouts, and those remaining say they toe the government lineDavid Koelsch, a former immigration judge based in Maryland, was in Minneapolis visiting his mother and sister the day Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents. He drove to Nicollet Avenue, parked a few blocks away, and walked toward the scene.I didn't go there to protest. I didn't bring a sign. I didn't bring anything. I just went to stand and bear witness," Koelsch said. Continue reading...

Charlotte Proudman's comments follow trial of Christopher Trybus, who was acquitted of all charges against wife Tarryn BairdA barrister has suggested that a dead woman was put on trial" in the case of Christopher Trybus, who was cleared of manslaughter by a jury.Charlotte Proudman's comments came after Trybus was found not guilty by a jury of eight women and four men, who deliberated for more than 40 hours. He was acquitted of all charges: manslaughter, coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of rape. Continue reading...

Public frustration gave the SNP a muted victory, while Labour tied with Reform for second and the Greens claimed a seismic' resultLong before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, strode into the Glasgow count arena on Friday afternoon flanked by sombre-faced activists, the scene was a mirror image to the same venue in 2024, when his resurgent party won 36 seats from the Scottish National party, playing a significant part in Keir Starmer's landslide victory. Continue reading...

Samuel Whitsed, 27, is believed to have travelled from Victoria to hike Bibbulmun Track near outskirts of Perth

Israeli PM says he has full coordination' with US president amid reports that Washington no longer consults himBenjamin Netanyahu interrupted an uncharacteristically long silence over the Iran conflict this week with a video commentary insisting he had full coordination" with Donald Trump, with whom he spoke almost daily".The insistence that all was rosy in the US-Israeli relationship followed weeks of reports in the domestic press that Israel was no longer being consulted over the Iran conflict, and even less over Pakistani-brokered peace talks. Such is the scepticism over Netanyahu's trustworthiness among the general public and independent press that the immediate reaction among observers to his video statement was speculation that the reality could be even worse than they had imagined. Continue reading...

Norway's energy minister says country has a responsibility' to address shortfalls caused by wars in Ukraine and Middle EastIn case of any doubt about Norway's commitment to maintain - and expand - its production of gas and oil offshore, the energy minister, Terje Aasland, has a pithy response: We will develop, not dismantle, activity on our continental shelf."This week, to the alarm of environmental campaigners, he announced that three gasfields off the country's southern coast would reopen by the end of 2028 - nearly three decades after they closed - to meet a shortfall caused by the impact of the war in Ukraine and disruption to supplies from the Middle East. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is preferred choice of new leader for 42% of those surveyed

Fears over a natural disaster or cyber attack are pushing households into contingency planning, Link survey showsMillions of Britons are prepping" for a potential major disruptive event" by keeping a stash of cash at home, stockpiling tinned goods or ensuring they have a battery-powered torch close to hand, new data suggests.With war raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, extreme weather becoming more frequent, and warnings that the UK's critical infrastructure is at risk from cyber-attacks and power outages, many people feel the world has become a more dangerous and chaotic place. Continue reading...

About 30 people - nearly all men - have expressed an interest in taking on the far-right National Rally in next year's ballotAt a Paris meeting hall this week, hundreds of leftwing voters braved a rainstorm to gather chanting: Unity! Unity!"They were celebrating the 90th anniversary of France's Popular Front, a leftwing alliance that was formed in the 1930s amid fears that the far right could take power. But their concerns were more immediate. Continue reading...

Unprecedented operation' under way to receive MV Hondius off Tenerife to assess and repatriate those onboard What is hantavirus?

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Analysis commissioned by independent senator found national science agency's funding is at its lowest since 1978

More than 190 people have been killed in such strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and PacificThe US military on Friday said it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor in the latest attack on boats suspected of transporting narcotics. This brings the death toll from strikes on such vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific to more than 190 people since September.A video posted by the US Southern Command shows the vessel traveling through the water being hit by what appears to be a missile. The screen momentarily goes black and then shows the boat engulfed in flames. Continue reading...

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Both sides also confirm prisoner swap which Donald Trump announced along with suspension of all kinetic activity' between the warring statesDonald Trump has announced a three-day ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine from 9 to 11 May.The US president said on social media the ceasefire would include a suspension of all kinetic activity" and a swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country. It was confirmed by both sides. Continue reading...

Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beaten in election as count puts his party on 17 seats, a tie with Reform

Automaker had given numerous statements reassuring drivers that it would not do so', says California attorney generalGeneral Motors (GM) agreed to pay $12.75m to resolve claims that it illegally sold hundreds of thousands of Californians' location and driving data to two data brokers, said the state's attorney general, Rob Bonta, on Friday. He said this came after the Detroit-based automaker had given numerous statements reassuring drivers that it would not do so".General Motors sold the data of California drivers without their knowledge or consent," Bonta said in a statement. This trove of information included precise and personal location data that could identify the everyday habits and movements of Californians." Continue reading...

After January order from US department of the interior, managers across 55 sites have lifted prohibitionsDonald Trump's administration is quietly pushing national park, refuge and wilderness area managers to dramatically scale back hunting restrictions, raising questions about visitor safety and the impact on wildlife.Doug Burgum, the US Department of the Interior secretary, issued an order in January directing multiple agencies to remove what he termed unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers" to hunting and fishing, to and justify regulations they want to keep in place. Continue reading...

Welsh Labour leader and first minister Eluned Morgan loses seat with party pushed into third place behind Plaid Cymru and ReformThis liveblog is now closed. Read the Guardian's report on the elections here and find all our election coverage here.

Party has success in Labour and Tory heartland areas but one pollster says results suggest Reform may have peaked

Senior Labour MPs urge prime minister to step down within year as party loses control of 25 English councils and humbled in Wales

Reform, Greens and pro-Gaza independents make significant gains, although no party has yet won majority

Whimsical film shows relay of animals carrying centennial card from Balmoral Castle to naturalist in LondonKing Charles has featured in a surprise birthday tribute to David Attenborough, with a cast of wild animals helping to relay his handwritten congratulatory centenary card.The whimsical film, A Very Special Delivery, begins with the king writing his tribute in the library of Balmoral Castle. Charles, wearing an animal-themed tie featuring elephants, reflects on more than 60 years of friendship with the renowned naturalist. Continue reading...

The Cohutta town council will discuss reinstating the police and consider request for mayor's immediate resignation'The town council in a small mountain community in the US state of Georgia called a special meeting on Friday evening to discuss reinstating the police department after the mayor fired the chief and all the officers.The notice for the meeting, posted outside the Cohutta town hall, says the council will also consider a request for the mayor's immediate resignation". Continue reading...

Parents will receive hundreds of free diapers before leaving hospital under new program aimed at alleviating expensesCalifornia families welcoming newborns will soon receive hundreds of free diapers before leaving the hospital under a first-in-the-country program announced on Friday by the state's governor, Gavin Newsom.During the program's first year, it will be offered at about 65 to 75 hospitals that handle about a quarter of births in the state and largely serve low-income patients, Newsom's office said. The initiative will expand to more hospitals statewide, though the governor's office did not say how many. The state has partnered with the non-profit Baby2Baby to manufacture the diapers under the label Golden State Start". Continue reading...

Among the releases is a 1969 debrief of Buzz Aldrin stating he saw a sizeable' object close to the lunar surfaceThe Pentagon on Friday released an initial group of previously secret files documenting reports of UFOs - a move sought for decades by some.These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation - and it's time the American people see it for themselves," Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, said in a statement posted on X. Continue reading...

Reform makes gains in Labour's working-class heartlands, while Greens chip away at party's progressive baseKeir Starmer hates to lose. Unsurprisingly, he refused to walk away and end his premiership as Labour's local election losses began to trickle in on Friday morning. Upon entering Downing Street in July 2024 after leading Labour to a historic general election victory, Starmer promised the public that his government would fight every day until you believe again".Now, Starmer is faced with the uncomfortable truth that the frustrated yet united coalition that brought him into No 10 hoping for change is completely fractured and its discontent cannot be dismissed as early midterm blues. Continue reading...

Welsh nationalist party able to form minority government in Wales, blocking momentum of Reform UK

Nationwide Canvas outage left students and faculty dead in the water' and rushing to rearrange end of academic yearA system that thousands of schools and universities in the US use was offline on Thursday during a cyberattack, creating chaos as students tried to study for finals and underscoring education's dependence on technology.Students quickly took to social media to ask if others were unable to access Canvas, with many panicking that they could no longer view course materials housed within the platform to study for their final exams. Continue reading...

Network lawyers in a legal motion strongly pushed back against the FCC's investigation into The View talkshowLawyers representing an ABC station have accused the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of punishing the network for political purposes in a strongly worded attack on the Trump-controlled commission's investigation into top-rated talkshow, The View.In a legal motion filed on Thursday, KTRK-TV, a Houston-based local television station owned by ABC, pushed back strongly against the FCC investigation, accusing the purportedly independent agency of taking actions that threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly". Continue reading...

US energy department says 13.5kg of uranium taken from reactor in Caracas - a fraction of the 408kg held by TehranDonald Trump has succeeded in removing a country's stash of highly enriched uranium - although that country is not Iran.On Friday, the US Department of Energy announced that thanks to President Trump's decisive leadership" 13.5 kilograms (about 30 pounds) of uranium had been removed from a legacy research reactor in Venezuela. Continue reading...

Whitaker Malem worked with pop art sculptor Allen Jones, visual artist Nadia Lee Cohen and a car bodyshop in KentAt Monday's Met Gala, it inevitably fell to Kim Kardashian to deliver the evening's biggest jolt. One of the few celebrities to straightforwardly interpret the fashion is art" dress code - which focused on how the dressed and undressed human body is the through-line in most works of art - she decided to forgo her usual role as a walking billboard for a major fashion house and instead arrived in an orange fibreglass breastplate created by a small east London art duo and a car bodyshop in Kent.Good art should start conversation, and Kim did exactly that," says 61-year-old Patrick Whitaker, half of the design practice Whitaker Malem, who made the breastplate just weeks before the gala. She was very clear on wanting a breastplate, very clear on the car body finish. And I think she was nervous really. She understands the competition." Continue reading...

Bond yields drop as market fears ease that Labour leader will be replaced by a more leftwing rival

US secretary of state has been meeting Italian leader amid strained tensions over IranThe European Commission also insisted that airlines must not charge customers extra fuel fees after they have already bought tickets, as the aviation sector feels the pain from high energy prices because of the Middle East war, AFP reported.Airlines may adapt their published fares to the situation, but adding a fuel surcharge to a ticket after it has been bought cannot be justified," EU spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told reporters in Brussels. Continue reading...

Roman Lavrynovych is one of three accused of arson attacks on a vehicle and two houses in London tied to the prime ministerA Ukrainian man has admitted setting fire to a car that once belonged to Keir Starmer for 3,000, after telling a court he had been being threatened by a powerful" Russian-speaking man using the pseudonym El Money.Roman Lavrynovych, 22, is accused, along with Stanislav Carpiuc and Petro Pochynok, of arson attacks on a vehicle and two houses in north London linked to the prime minister. Continue reading...

Party makes gains in Portsmouth and Richmond upon Thames in local elections but loses a Scottish stronghold

Keira Alexandra Kronvold's daughter Zammi was forcibly removed from her when she was two hours oldA Greenlandic woman whose newborn baby was forcibly removed by Danish authorities as a result of controversial parenting competency tests has won a landmark case in the high court ruling that their actions were illegal.Keira Alexandra Kronvold's daughter Zammi was taken away from her when she was two hours old and placed in foster care in November 2024 after Kronvold was subjected to so-called FKU (parental competence) psychometric tests. At the time she was told that the test was to see if she was civilised enough". Continue reading...

Jordan Devlin, who was acquitted at trial where four co-defendants were convicted, says he was saving livesA Palestine Action activist who was acquitted over a protest at an Israeli arms manufacturer's UK site has said he and his five co-defendants did the right thing".Four of those who stood trial with Jordan Devlin were convicted of criminal damage in relation to the direct action protest at the Elbit Systems UK site near Bristol on 6 August 2024, but he said they had been acting to save Palestinian lives. Continue reading...

Carmaker gives one of biggest warnings yet of conflict's impact on businesses while Trump tariffs also take tollToyota has reported a 3bn hit from costs from the war in Iran, as prices of parts and materials soared and sales dropped.The world's biggest carmaker said profits declined in its financial year to March as it was likely unable to absorb newly added impact from the Middle East", in one of the largest warnings yet of the war's impact on businesses. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Co-chair Vula Tsetsi says it is time to trigger debate, as statement is agreed at annual leadership meeting in BrusselsThe European Green party has urged the UK to consider rejoining the EU and draw a line under the political and economic failure" of Brexit.A text declaring that the United Kingdom's future lies in the European Union" was adopted by a large majority of European green parties at the movement's annual leadership meeting on Friday, the day before Europe Day. Continue reading...

US president expresses impatience at speed of EU's implementation and warns of much higher' tariffs

Promises to cut emissions and use more fuel-efficient planes fail to stop rise, with Ryanair's carbon footprint 50% up on 2019Emissions from flying in Europe have now passed pre-pandemic levels, with Ryanair's carbon footprint 50% higher than in 2019, research has shown.Total aviation emissions continue to increase despite industry pledges to decarbonise and the introduction of more fuel-efficient planes, driven by the massive expansion of low-cost carriers. Continue reading...

Two Singaporeans and local person were in a no-go zone when they were killed, say officialsThree hikers - two Singaporeans and an Indonesian - have died in an eruption of Indonesia's Mount Dukono volcano, where they found themselves in a no-go zone, officials said.The eruption, on Halmahera island, sent an ash cloud about 6 miles (10km) into the air, with no towns of villages near enough to face any immediate threat. Continue reading...

Janai Safar, 32, one of four women who returned to Australia who were allegedly linked to Islamic State fighters. Follow updates

No 10 prepares for battle as party loses seats in heartlands and control of councils in Hartlepool, Tameside, Redditch and Tamworth

Janai Safar, 32, will remain in custody in Sydney. Two other women facing separate charges are expected to apply for bail in Melbourne on Monday

Barrister for actor Charlotte MacInnes, who is suing the Pitch Perfect star for defamation, also accused Wilson of a complete revision of history'. Wilson has rejected defamation claims.

Reform runaway winners in north-east, likely pushing Labour into opposition in Hartlepool, with other losses for Starmer in Chorley, Wigan, Redditch and Tamworth

Exclusive: Farley discussed preferences and suggested platform before Voices group endorsed his rival Michelle Milthorpe as its candidate