Leader talks of fully costed, fully funded' plans for NHS, nursery places, social care and university fundingIn the sunny garden of a local community centre in Thurrock, a relaxed-looking Keir Starmer, shirt sleeves rolled up, was surrounded by a buzz of television cameras, reporters and Labour party activists taking selfies.Hundreds of miles away in North Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak, who had cancelled a press event on Saturday amid the fallout from his D-day blunder, spent a quiet day in his constituency, nursing his wounds. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Party plans to set up more than 3,300 nurseries in existing primary schools in England for children from nine months oldLabour has pledged to create more than 100,000 new nursery places for children from nine months old, helping to both drive up standards and meet demand, as a key manifesto offer for working parents.The party plans to set up more than 3,300 new nurseries in existing primary schools in England to support a major expansion of childcare. Continue reading...
George Cottrell, who was jailed in US for wire fraud, has been seen at Reform UK leader's side over the last weekNigel Farage is facing questions over why he is being accompanied on the campaign trail by an aristocratic friend who spent eight months in jail in the US for wire fraud.Known as Posh George", George Cottrell was a volunteer for Farage in 2016 before his arrest in the US on money-laundering charges and ultimate guilty plea to one count of wire fraud in a case unrelated to his work at Ukip, Farage's party at the time. The crime was committed in 2014, before Cottrell worked for either the anti-EU party or Farage. Continue reading...
Exclusive: New platform to provide same-day appointments with digital physiotherapist in effort to cut waiting timesThe first NHS AI-run physiotherapy clinic is to be rolled out this year in an effort to cut waiting times amid growing demand and staff shortages.The new platform will provide same-day automated video appointments with a digital physiotherapist via an app that responds to information provided by a patient in real time. Continue reading...
Late TV chef's Hairy Biker partner, Si King, very proud' of 300-mile procession from London to BarrowAbout 20,000 motorcyclists have taken part in a 300-mile procession from London to Barrow-in-Furness to pay tribute to the late TV chef Dave Myers.Myers, who was one half of the Hairy Bikers motorcycle-riding cooking duo along with Si King, was born and brought up in the Cumbrian town. He died of cancer on 28 February, aged 66. Continue reading...
Referencing socialist thinker is latest example of city repurposing its radical history for profit, say local peopleA multimillion-pound luxury penthouse flat named after the revolutionary socialist thinker Friedrich Engels is the latest example of Manchester repurposing its radical history for profit, local people have said.The apartment is in the east tower in Deansgate Square, where the developer Renaker says its vision for the New Jackson" skyscraper district is to create a sustainable and attractive neighbourhood where people feel proud to call home". Continue reading...
Anastasiia Drevynytska, whose parents are in UK, has been told she does not meet Homes for Ukraine scheme's criteriaA young woman from Ukraine who sought sanctuary in the UK has been asked by the Home Office to separate from her parents who are living here and return to her war-torn home country.Anastasiia Drevynytska, 20, came to the UK on 17 Dec 2023 from her home in western Ukraine to join her mother, Svitlana, and father, Volodymyr, who had already arrived after finding sponsors under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Continue reading...
Groups issue call to next government amid criticism of online fashion retailer's labour practices and accusations of copyingWorkers rights campaigners have called for the UK's next government to oppose the online fashion business Shein joining the FTSE, arguing a London listing would be yet another betrayal to working people everywhere and the planet."Alena Ivanova, campaigns lead at Labour Behind the Label, said it had heard the news of senior British politicians courting Shein's 50bn listing with dismay" given what she claimed was a lack of transparency about its supply chain and ethical concerns. Continue reading...
Hamas' armed al-Qassam Brigades said three hostages were killed in an Israeli military operation on Saturday in which some hostages were freed. This live blog is closedAt least 236 Palestinians were killed in Israel's raid to free hostages Saturday, Gaza health officials have told the Washington Post.At al-Awda Hospital, where victims were transported, there were 142 bodies, hospital director Marwan Abu Nasser told the US newspaper. Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital spokesman Khalil al-Degran said over the weekend that the hospital had at least 94 bodies. Hundreds more are believed to be wounded. Continue reading...
Modi becomes second leader in Indian history to win three consecutive terms, but opposition leaders snub ceremonyNarendra Modi has been sworn in as prime minister of India for a historic third term, ushering in a new era of coalition politics for India's strongman leader.The ceremony, which took place at the presidential palace on Sunday evening, marked Modi's return to power, only the second leader in India's history to win three consecutive terms. Continue reading...
by Mabel Banfield-Nwachi and Hannah Al-Othman on (#6ND08)
Labour leader says party will not be raising income tax, national insurance or VAT. This live blog is closedLabour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his party's pledge not to raise taxes, despite reports from The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) that tax rises would be necessary to maintain current levels of departmental funding.Sir Keir told reporters in Essex:We will not be raising taxes on working people. That means we won't be raising income tax, national insurance or VAT.We will launch our manifesto very soon and that will have no tax surprises in it because all of our plans are fully funded and fully costed and none of them require tax rises over and above the ones that we've already announced.There are millions of people who have similar experiences to me and my family where they are doing a lot of the caring.If we support carers who are caring for their loved ones at home, then actually a lot of the caring will be done by families.They have issued hundreds of thousands of healthcare visas and those people are doing a fantastic job and I think we should recognise that but imagine if we were paying healthcare workers more - I don't think we would need to issue all those visas.I think that a lot of people in this country would be more willing to work in the care sector. Continue reading...
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who ordered live gunfire on students in 2003, approved by Iran's Guardian CouncilIran's Guardian Council has approved the country's hardline parliament speaker and five others to run in the country's 28 June presidential election after a helicopter crash that killed the president, Ebrahim Raisi and seven others.The council again barred former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a firebrand populist known for the crackdown that followed his disputed 2009 re-election, from running. Continue reading...
Refugee advocate Sister Jane Keogh, rich lister Sarina Russo, Asio chief Mike Burgess and ex-premiers Dan Andrews and Mark McGowan among award recipients
Exclusive: Dramas pay homage to Waldemar Haffkine, who created vaccines for bubonic plague and choleraA bestselling author is seeking to restore the reputation of a wronged Jewish scientist, who saved millions of lives by creating the world's first vaccines against the bubonic plague and cholera - only to fall victim to antisemitism and to be almost air-brushed from history since his death in 1930.In dramas planned for the stage and screen, Paul Twivy will pay tribute to the extraordinary achievements of Waldemar Haffkine, a pioneering microbiologist recognised by the scientist, Joseph Lister, as a saviour of humanity - but who was brought down by racist doctors within the British Raj while he was working in India. Continue reading...
Campaigners say election shows rejection of hate politics' after marginalised groups vote to deny BJP a majorityIt was widely described as the week that India's beleaguered democracy was pulled back from the brink. As the election results rolled in on Tuesday, all predictions and polls were defied as Narendra Modi lost his outright majority for the first time in a decade while the opposition re-emerged as a legitimate political force. On Sunday evening, Modi will be sworn in as prime minister yet many believe his power and mandate stands diminished.For one opposition politician in particular, the humbling of the strongman prime minister was a moment to savour. Late last year, Mahua Moitra, one of the most outspoken critics of Modi and his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) found herself unceremoniously expelled from parliament and kicked out of her bungalow, after what she described as a political witch-hunt" for daring to stand up to Modi. Continue reading...
Workers for US defence contractor KBR concerned after colleagues die on island with no hospital-grade health facilityMigrant workers employed by the US defence contractor KBR on the British-owned island of Diego Garcia have expressed concerns for their safety after the recent deaths of two of their colleagues, the Observer has learned.The most recent death on Diego Garcia, which is host to a strategic American military base in the British Indian Ocean Territory, came on 5 January. Relemay Fabula Gan, 41, from the Philippines, died after suffering a collapsed lung following several weeks of illness after a Covid diagnosis, her family said. Continue reading...
Gone are the days when Rupert Murdoch's favour swayed the vote but newspapers still hold power over party's futureAs circulations fade and alternative sources of news and commentary spread across the media universe, the impact of Conservative-aligned national newspapers on elections is declining. Gone are the days when the combined might of the Sun's front page and the leader columns of the Times, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph could claim to sway floating voters, such as the stereotyped Mondeo Man or Worcester Woman, to put an X by the name of a Tory candidate. But if these once-mighty titles have lost some of their power, they remain highly influential. So while they may not directly persuade a newly minted Whitby woman" how to vote on 4July, they still shape arguments inside Westminster and among the membership of the political parties, feeding social media and setting the broadcasting news agenda.Veteran political journalist Andrew Neil, now back inside the Times stable steering its radio listeners in the runup to polling day, has admitted that newspapers' collective influence is nothing like it used to be". Speaking last week, he cited the damage once done to Labour by the red tops", with Sun headlines such as the famous 1992 screamer, If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights", and suggested that the digital pages, newsletters and podcasts put out by leading Tory titles have nothing like the same visceral impact. But Neil also argues that British newspapers retain greater muscle than those in the US and other European countries, where he said there are no truly nationwide news publications. Continue reading...
British Museum will host treasures from Samarkand in a bid to dispel cliches of camels, spices and bazaarsA monumental six-metre-long wall painting created in the 7th century, and 8th-century ivory figures carved for one of the world's oldest surviving chess sets, are among treasures set to be seen in Britain for the first time.The items will travel from the ancient city of Samarkand to the UK for an exhibition opening in September, as part of the first-ever loan from museums in Uzbekistan to the British Museum. Continue reading...
Charities have called on all political parties to address the shameful record' on social housing and build more homesMore than a quarter of a million social rent homes in England have been lost in the last decade, according to analysis of government statistics.Between April 2013 and April 2023, the number of social housing homes owned by local authorities and housing associations in England fell by 260,464 units, according to the charity Shelter, which calculated the figures. Continue reading...
While politicians argue over waiting lists, a London hospital is already implementing some of the innovative measures that could cut waiting listsJust two weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer, John Harvey was in a hospital ward on Thursday for a three-hour operation which he hopes will cure him.Harvey, 79, from east London, expected an anxious wait for treatment after being diagnosed with colon cancer but has benefited from a drive to cut waiting times at the London trust where he is being treated. I thought the wait would be weeks and weeks," he said. I was surprised." Continue reading...
Seoul says it will install loudspeakers on the border with North Korea after detecting 330 more balloons in its territorySouth Korea says it will restart loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the North, after Pyongyang sent hundreds more rubbish-filled balloons across the border.We will install loudspeakers against North Korea today and carry out the broadcast," the president's office said in a statement on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Sophie Wilkinson on (#6NCYR)
Labour has expressed concerns about the calibre of would-be Tory MPs after a some shared outlandish views onlineThe Conservative party has been accused of becoming a home for cranks" after some of its candidates at the general election were revealed to have shared conspiracy theories on social media.The posts seen by the Observer include the suggestion that positive tests for Covid-19 were mass psychosis at work" and that the Black Lives Matter movement might be an attempt to bring down British society". Continue reading...
Voters in most EU member states called to polls on Sunday, as far-right parties expected to gain record number of seatsHundreds of millions of voters go to the polls on Sunday in European parliament elections that are expected to tilt the assembly further to the radical and far right, shaping the continent's future course.Voters in most EU member states, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland, are called to the polls on Sunday, the final day of a four-day election cycle that began in the Netherlands on Thursday. Continue reading...
Eleven-year-old girl among those injured at Lambeth country show in Brockwell ParkFour people including an 11-year-old girl have been taken to hospital after a fairground ride malfunctioned at an event in London on Saturday, police said.Emergency services were called to the scene at the Lambeth country show in Brockwell Park at about 6.20pm. Continue reading...
Party would boost powers to remove dirt and quad bikes from streets in crackdown on antisocial behaviourLabour is promising new powers for police to quickly scrap noisy dirt and quad bikes causing havoc in neighbourhoods as part of a crackdown on antisocial behaviour.Keir Starmer's party also wants to raise on-the-spot fines for using off-road bikes or ignoring officers' instructions to stop, which are as low as 100. Continue reading...
by Paul Karp Chief political correspondent on (#6NCV2)
Exclusive: Safwat Abdel-Hady may now be able to pursue damages for false imprisonment after court found his detention was not authorised by Migration Act
Peace prize winner and women's rights activist is refusing to attend hearings in TehranA new trial against the jailed Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi opened on Saturday in her absence, said a lawyer for the women's rights activist who has refused to attend hearings.Mohammadi, 52, has been jailed since November 2021 over several past convictions relating to her advocacy against the obligatory hijab for women and capital punishment in Iran. Continue reading...
Woman and three men freed from Nuseirat, as EU diplomat condemns reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians'Israeli special forces have freed four hostages held in Nuseirat, central Gaza, as Israeli attacks and airstrikes in the same area killed at least 93 Palestinians, including children, local medics said.The rescue raid was the largest of the war, bringing three men and a woman who were kidnapped at the Nova music festival back to Israel. Continue reading...
Indian high commission made claim bronze depicting Tirumankai Alvar which it believes may have been lootedOxford University has announced it is to hand back a 500-year-old sculpture of a Hindu saint to India.The almost 60cm-tall bronze statue, which depicts Tirumankai Alvar, had been on display at the university's Ashmolean Museum. Continue reading...
Plan for specialist unit in all police forces amid manifesto drive to reduce violence against women and girlsLabour will establish 80 new rape courts across and England and Wales to fast-track cases as part of wide-ranging plans to tackle violence against women and girls that will be announced in the party's general election manifesto this week.The specialist courts will be set up in unused rooms and spare capacity within every existing crown court, in an effort to end a growing backlog that causes 60% of rape victims to drop out before their cases even begin. Continue reading...
Peter Magyar's Tisza party trails the populist leader in the polls, but is offering liberal voters renewed hopeThousands of people rallied in Budapest on Saturday as a political newcomer led a push to mobilise voters against Hungary's populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, ahead of European elections on Sunday.We defeated apathy," declared Peter Magyar, a former government insider who switched sides and launched an opposition movement, as he stood in front of a vast crowd which filled the capital's Heroes' Square. Continue reading...
Polls show longstanding Tory advantages on issues such as immigration, crime and defence are gone, while Labour opens new leads in traditional areasWas this the week the wheels came off for Rishi Sunak? After two weeks of campaigning for a clear plan of bold action for a secure future" the verdict in the polls is clear: voters don't like his clear plan, they don't want his bold actions, and they believe their future will be more secure without him. All of this was true even before the prime minister's calamitous Thursday afternoon decision to leave D-day commemorations early for a pre-recorded media interview.Make no mistake: the Conservatives are now staring down the barrel. Their campaign is failing on every front, with precious little time left. Voters are making their minds up, and what the prime minister offers is not what they want. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) on (#6NCJE)
BBC and PA Media say a scheduled opportunity to question the prime minister was withdrawn on SaturdayThe business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, is being pressed to question the Royal Mail bidder Daniel Ketinsky on his business links, after the Guardian raised questions about a series of controversial global property deals connected to the Czech billionaire's longtime business partners.Badenoch is scheduled to meet the tycoon next week to discuss his 3.57bn bid for the 500-year-old institution, which will be subjected to a review under the National Security and Investment Act. Continue reading...
Pub and restaurant trade reporting high demand for tournament bookings, as football fans prepare to follow fortunes of England and Scotland on the big screenFootball fans used to worry about getting a ticket into the ground. Now they are fretting about being able to book a place at the bar.Bookings to watch England in Euro 2024 have soared in the last week as fans cottoned on to the fact that the nation's first game in the tournament against Serbia will also fall on Father's Day, this Sunday 16 June. Continue reading...
Prime minister's team say time constraints to blame as condemnation over early return from Normandy continuesRishi Sunak avoided media interviews as he returned to the campaign trail on Saturday amid the fallout from his early return from the D-day commemoration ceremony in Normandy.The prime minister was due to meet reporters during a visit to County Durham and Yorkshire on Saturday but the interviews were cancelled, with Tories citing time constraints". Continue reading...
Italian PM courted by far right and centre ground as European parliamentary elections beginItalians cast their ballots on Saturday as Italy became the first key player to vote in the European parliamentary elections, which could lead to far-right leader, Giorgia Meloni, acting as kingmaker.Far-right parties are expected to make gains in the elections, as most countries, including EU heavyweights France and Germany, go to the polls on Sunday. Projected results are expected late on Sunday evening. Continue reading...
Home Office failed to provide digital proof of status to those applying for visa extensions, in new Windrush-style scandalThe Home Office is facing a new Windrush-style scandal after a landmark high court ruling found that the home secretary acted unlawfully by failing to provide documents to thousands of migrants proving they are here legally.The charity Ramfel brought the legal challenge along with Cecilia Adjei, a healthcare worker and mother of two boys aged 17 and 11, who came to Britain from Ghana in 2000. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6NC57)
Move comes after Russian hack on Monday which continues to cause serious disruption to NHS careHospitals in London have had to cancel cancer operations this week because of a Russian cyber-attack that continues to cause serious disruption to NHS services in the capital.St Thomas' and King's College hospitals have postponed procedures that their surgeons were due to perform on cancer patients since the attack began last Monday, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...
World leaders will spend several days discussing Ukraine, Gaza and global security issues such as strengthening NatoThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, and Joe Biden marked the start of the US president's official state visit to France with a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe.The event followed the leaders' presence at commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings in Normandy on Thursday. Continue reading...
Restriction brought back to make improvements to checkpoint systems, according to Department for TransportSix regional airports in the UK will temporarily reintroduce restrictions on carrying liquids over 100ml, the Department for Transport has said.The change will come into effect from midnight on Sunday, and will affect passengers travelling from London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Southend and Teesside airports. Continue reading...
Lib Dems and Labour try to persuade voters to lend support, as Grant Shapps is among big beasts' who look vulnerableOn a sunny afternoon in the picturesque Hertfordshire town of Berkhamsted, recent graduate Sadie Bond is making an unusual apology to the local Lib Dem candidate, Victoria Collins. Bond says she is going to vote for Collins next month, but feels compelled to disclose her motivation. It's tactical, I'm afraid," she says. I've only ever really known a Tory government and I'm very much fed up with it. Everything feels a bit hopeless. I want Labour to come into power, but I know that isn't going to happen in this constituency, so I'm voting Lib Dem."Far from being offended, the confession is music to the ears of Collins, who has been working to convince voters that she and the Lib Dems are the best vehicle for anyone simply wanting to stop the Tories here. While Harpenden and Berkhamsted is a new seat, it would be a solid brick in the Conservative blue wall in more normal political times. What makes the Lib Dem task here more intriguing is that this seat is sandwiched between two Labour targets - Hemel Hemstead and Welwyn and Hatfield. In the latter, Keir Starmer's party hopes to fell cabinet minister Grant Shapps. Continue reading...
Fundraiser includes motorcycle procession from London to Barrow-in-Furness in honour of Hairy Biker star who died of cancer in FebruaryThousands are expected to gather to celebrate Dave Day" in honour of the late Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers.Myers, who was one half of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo, died of cancer in February at the age of 66. Continue reading...
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