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Starmer's party was quicker out of the digital gate, with slicker, more engaging content than the Tory offeringThe video opens with an old clip of Cilla Black singing her classic Surprise, Surprise!'. The caption reads POV: Rishi Sunak turns up at your 18th birthday to send you to war."This appeared on Labour's TikTok account the day after the Conservatives launched their national service policy. It fitted perfectly with TikTok's meme-heavy, wry and sarcastic culture and has been watched 4.5 million times. The video racked up almost 700,000 likes, more than double the likes on all the Tories' TikToks put together. Continue reading...

Family and friends pay tribute to British record-holder Bren Orton, 29, who disappeared in the Melezza RiverA British man who went missing while kayaking in Switzerland has been found dead, Swiss police have confirmed.Bren Orton, 29, went missing on 16 May. Authorities searched for the professional kayaker for two weeks before a body was discovered in Lake Maggiore, which straddles Switzerland and Italy. His body was discovered by a sailor who contacted emergency services. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Co-author of analysis for WHO calls on government to control the food industry rather than being subservient to itThe sugar tax has been so successful in improving people's diets that it should be extended to cakes, biscuits and chocolate, health experts say.The World Health Organization wants the next UK government to expand coverage of the levy to help tackle tooth decay, obesity, diabetes and other illnesses. Continue reading...

Author of novel Prophet Song about an imagined fascist Ireland tells Hay audience he is not a political writerI miss my solitude," last year's Booker prize winner Paul Lynch told an audience at Hay festival on Saturday.In many ways I didn't sign up for this. I'm an introvert who's learned how to be social, a social introvert," he said. I signed up to sit in a room on my own for three or four years and write a book," he said. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereSNP leader John Swinney has urged people to take part in a Scottish national service" by using the general election to vote Tory MPs out of office, PA Media reports.Scotland's first minister said his party could remove the remaining rump of Tory MPs". Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereUkrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy has now arrived in Singapore for the annual Shangri-La security summit, where he will address delegates tomorrow.He is expected to hold talks with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other leaders attending the conference, seeking support for a peace summit" this month in Switzerland. Continue reading...

Migrants seek redress for immense distress' from deportations now thrown into chaos by election announcementAsylum seekers detained by the Home Office and threatened with deportation to Rwanda are set to take legal action against the government after Rishi Sunak admitted that no flightswill take place before the general election.The Home Office started raiding accommodation and detaining people who arrived at routine immigration-reporting appointments on 29 April in a nationwide push codenamed Operation Vector. Continue reading...

Labour leader says UK public dislike extremes of left or right' in politics and promises to take centre ground

More than 200,000 fans will descend on Murrayfield, with new ice-cream flavour and evening classes part of buildupThe friendship bracelets have been woven, the chants practised and the outfits curated. Next weekend well over 200,000 Taylor Swift fans will descend on the Scottish capital as the star begins the UK leg of her blockbuster Eras tour in the city.Before the crescendo of three sold-out concerts at Murrayfield on 7, 8 and 9 June, the buildup has encompassed online decoding of the singer's now famous hidden song messages, in-person pre-parties and the inevitable shameless cash-ins. Continue reading...

Former armed forces chief was imprisoned after failed revolt against junta and later campaigned with Nobel laureate under National League for Democracy bannerTin Oo, one of the closest associates of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and co-founder with her of the National League for Democracy, has died at the age of 97.Tin Oo died on Saturday morning at Yangon general hospital, said Moh Khan, a charity worker citing a family member. Charity workers in Myanmar handle funeral arrangements. Continue reading...

Labor has lost a key seat in Victoria but could replace it by picking up a newly created electorate in Western Australia

National Association of Broadcasters rescinds honor after actor's comments outside ex-president's criminal trial in New YorkFilm actor Robert De Niro was scheduled to accept a leadership award from the National Association of Broadcasters, but the group has rescinded the award after the celebrity spoke out against Donald Trump outside his criminal trial in New York this week, the Hill and the Huffington Post report.The National Association of Broadcasters did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...

D:Ream members regret association with Tony Blair and do not want song played at July general electionThe pop group that sing Things Can Only Get Better - which became an anthem for Labour at the 1997 general election victory - will deny any request from Keir Starmer to use the track at this year's election.D:Ream's founding members Peter Cunnah and Alan Mackenzie said they were dismayed to hear their song play through a loudspeaker as the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, called a 4 July general election on a wet afternoon in Downing Street. Continue reading...

Pickton, 71, who died in hospital following attack on 19 May, fed his victims' remains to pigs on his farmRobert Pickton, a notorious Canadian serial killer who fed his victims' remains to his pigs on his farm near Vancouver, has died after being assaulted in prison.The Correctional Service of Canada said in statement that Pickton, 71, died in hospital on Friday, following the attack on 19 May by another inmate of Port-Cartier Institution in the province of Quebec. Continue reading...

The singer and actor is devastated' to cancel upcoming dates in support of recent album, her first tour in five yearsJennifer Lopez has canceled her 2024 North American tour, representatives for Live Nation confirmed.Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends," a statement read. Continue reading...

Bodies of Tom and Richie Parry identified as Gemma Parry pays tribute to caring and loving father' and energetic, loving boy'A father and his 12-year-old son who were found dead after going missing in the Scottish Highlands probably died as the result of a fall, police have said. Tributes have been paid to Tom Parry, 49, and his son Richie, from Cheshire, who did not return home on Wednesday after visiting Glen Nevis and Glen Coe to go hillwalking.Their car was found in the Three Sisters car park in the area on Tuesday, and at about 7.25pm on Wednesday rescuers recovered two bodies from Stob Coire nan Lochan, Glen Coe. Continue reading...

Clip on social media showed Jon Benjamin aiming assault rifle at colleague in region rife with drug gangsThe British ambassador to Mexico was quietly removed from his post earlier this year after he pointed an assault rifle at a local embassy employee, it emerged when footage of the incident was posted on social media.The Financial Times reported that Jon Benjamin was on an official trip to Durango and Sinaloa, two states with strong organised crime groups, when he looked down the gun's sights at a colleague, who gestures uncomfortably in the five-second clip. Continue reading...

Latest three-month period to 24 April includes Israeli strike that killed three workers for British World Central KitchenUK government ministers have reviewed a further three months of the IDF's presence in Gaza and found no reason to suspend arms exports to Israel.The latest review of evidence examined Israel Defense Forces' behaviour until 24 April, the Foreign Office said in a statement late on Friday. Continue reading...

Girl remains in critical condition after being hit by bullet in suspected drive-by attackThe young girl left in a critical condition after being mistakenly shot by a suspected gangland hitman was visiting relatives in London on her half-term holiday.The girl, from Birmingham, was still in hospital on Friday after a bullet struck her as she ate at Evin restaurant, in Hackney, north-east London, on Wednesday evening. Continue reading...

Interior ministry says 18-year-old Chechen suspected of planning Islamist-inspired' attack in Saint-EtienneFrench security services have arrested a Chechen teenager suspected of plotting an Islamist-inspired" attack on a football game during this summer's Olympics, the interior ministry has said.The domestic intelligence agency DGSI arrested an 18-year-old of Chechen origin in Saint-Etienne, in south-east France, the ministry said on Friday, calling it the first foiled attack against the Olympic Games". Continue reading...

Media groups claimed act criminalised investigative journalism and meant no one could say Jimmy Savile was a paedophileA Northern Ireland law banning the naming of suspected sex offenders until they are charged has been revoked in a court judgment hailed as a victory for press freedom.The law, which came into effect last year, granted anonymity for life and 25 years after death to anyone suspected of sexual offences who had not been charged. Continue reading...

Democratic senator makes announcement several months after saying he would not run for re-election or for presidentThe Democratic senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Friday that he had registered as an independent, several months after saying he would not stand for re-election this November but also would not run for president as a rebel candidate.The announcement raises further questions about his future political plans. Manchin has spent several years shoring up Democratic support in his deep-red state while making life difficult for the White House and Democrats in Congress in Washington DC with his often pivotal conservative influence over legislation, especially in relation to spending and the environment. Continue reading...

RAF says Battle of Britain flight will not take place because of safety concerns arising from death of pilot Sqn Ldr Mark LongNo second world war aircraft will participate in tribute flypasts marking the 80th anniversary of D-day next week after the crash of a Spitfire in Lincolnshire last week that killed its pilot.The RAF said the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) would continue to be grounded in its entirety because specialist crash investigators had not yet been unable to establish the cause of the accident that killed Sqn Ldr Mark Long. Continue reading...

Latest from campaign trail sees leader of the opposition head to Scotland, after his visit to Wales

Employees are working from home or packing their own lunches when they go to the office - but they're still spending on weekend brunches

Tamir Pardo says alleged campaign under his successor sounds like Cosa Nostra-style blackmail'

German move to allow Ukraine to use weapons in area bordering Kharkiv follows similar announcements from USUkraine's defence ministry said it is continuing to target Russian infrastructure.Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in Sweden today. Continue reading...

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, the Ukrainian president reveals the tactics and traits that help him face the daily frustrations of leading a country at war for more than two years Zelenskiy: Russian troops are laughing at and hunting' Ukrainians Continue reading...

Veteran MP had party whip restored this week, but it was suggested she might be barred' from running

Rebel group says strikes, aimed at underground facilities and missile launchers, killed and wounded civilians

Many voters are better off, but the Mexican president failed to solve bigger problems like violence and corruptionSix years ago, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador broke Mexico's traditional parties' grip on power to become president, promising to reshape a country wracked by inequality, corruption and violence.The self-described Fourth Transformation" - which put Lopez Obrador's project on a level with the Mexican Revolution and the war of independence - has fallen short of its lofty goals. But Lopez Obrador's approval ratings remain rock solid, at about 65%, and his party, Morena, seems sure to retain the presidency. Continue reading...

Peace activists confronting settlers who want to stop aid getting to Gaza acknowledge they are a minority within a minority'At approximately 10.30am on a scorching Monday, a group of five young Israeli settlers arrived at the Tarqumiya checkpoint, west of Hebron in the West Bank, where dozens of aid trucks bound for Gaza were expected.The settlers had received detailed information about the timing, location, and number of trucks that would pass through the checkpoint that morning. What they had not anticipated was that dozens of peace activists had also gathered in Tarqumiya with a specific mission: to prevent the settlers from blocking the vehicles and ensure that the aid continued its journey to Gaza. Continue reading...

Radio presenter says he will not suffer death by 1,000 cuts' over clip in which he said he did not like living in Kent townThe radio presenter Iain Dale has withdrawn his bid to be the Conservative candidate for Tunbridge Wells after he was found to have said he did not like the town.Dale, a longstanding Tory supporter, had resigned from his job on LBC to stand as a candidate in the Kent seat but said he was not willing to suffer death by 1,000 cuts" over his comments. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Leader challenges Labour to match 500m pledge, to be paid for with US-inspired share buyback tax

Lawsuit also alleges a late start for the 7 March concert, and claims the singer refused to allow the air-conditioning system to be usedMadonna has been sued by a concertgoer at her Celebration world tour, who alleges that Madonna produced pornography without warning" and he was forced to watch topless women on stage simulating sex acts".In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles and seen by the Guardian, the plaintiff, Justen Lipeles, makes a series of allegations regarding her 7 March concert at the Kia Forum venue in the city. The concert's promoter, Live Nation, is named alongside Madonna as a defendant. Continue reading...

Exclusive interview: Ukrainian president says US delaying use of western weapons on targets inside Russia has cost livesJoe Biden's delay in sanctioning the use of western weapons against targets in Russia has left the Kremlin's forces laughing at Ukraine and able to hunt" its people, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told the Guardian.In a wide-ranging interview in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president said that the White House's equivocation had cost lives and he urged the US president to overcome his perennial worries about possible nuclear escalation" with Moscow.New US weapons had still not arrived in sufficient quantities to equip additional Ukrainian brigades in the north-east, where Russia is advancing.Vladimir Putin was similar to Adolf Hitler, saying: Putin is not crazy. He's dangerous, which is much scarier."He had asked the former British prime minister Boris Johnson to lobby Donald Trump in the run-up to a vote in the US Congress in April to approve $61bn in aid to Ukraine, which hard-right Republicans had opposed.The UK Labour leader, Keir Starmer, whom he met in Kyiv last year, was a good guy". He added, after a pause: Rishi [Sunak] is also a good guy." Continue reading...

Visitors have been flocking to the National Gallery of Australia amid the controversy over Vincent Namatjira's painting of Rinehart, director tells hearing

Company tells Bramley residents that tests have indicated possible deterioration in quality' after historical fuel leakMore than 600 households in Surrey have been told not to drink their tap water after tests carried out by Thames Water.The company said results on Thursday indicated a possible deterioration in quality" of drinking water in some areas". Continue reading...

Townsville's 10 councillors join Queensland premier in calling for mayor to stand down after revelations he exaggerated his military history

Justice Michael Lee found former Liberal staffer was not defamed by Lisa Wilkinson and Ten during a broadcast interview with Higgins in February 2021Bruce Lehrmann has lodged a notice of appeal against the federal court judgment in his defamation claim against Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson which found that on the balance of probabilities he raped Brittany Higgins on a minister's couch in Parliament House in 2019.Lehrmann has always denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty at the criminal trial of the matter, which was aborted due to juror misconduct and Higgins' mental health was cited as the reason for no retrial. Continue reading...

Victorian premier Jacinta Allan announces Australia's first saturation model' after family violence prevention package unveiled

The 55-year-old was charged with offences that police allege occurred over several years and involved multiple victims

Former president calls verdict a disgrace' after being convicted in New York on all 34 counts of falsifying business records

Parliament's failure to reflect the bloc's diverse population could worsen with European elections

Old approach of seeking ultra-niche audiences has fallen out of favour as main parties spend tens of millions onlineDon't expect to see Cambridge Analytica-style microtargeted political adverts driven by personal data during this general election: the tactic is now considered by many to be an ineffective red herring" and is increasingly being blocked by social media platforms.The digital strategist Tom Edmonds said Facebook had banned political campaigns from using many of the tactics deployed in past contests. Running a campaign aimed at 500 people didn't earn them much money and just got them loads of shit," he said. Continue reading...

CWU calls for new business model and says commitments for takeover do not go far, or long enough'The union that represents workers at Royal Mail has called for a new business model for the company that would see workers given a stake in the company and pay tied to growing services and meeting certain social benefits.Dave Ward, the general secretary of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), said that the potential takeover by the Czech billionaire Daniel Ketinsky should provide a moment to overhaul how the company is structured, which could mirror that of US-style public benefit corporations. Continue reading...

Stacy Gilbert, who quit post as senior adviser on Tuesday, says report went against consensus of experts

Greens leader Adam Bandt says Donald Trump unfit to be president' after hush money trial verdict while Nationals senator Matt Canavan claims prosecution was a witch hunt'

At least 55 students arrested in police raid on Gaza solidarity camp accused of flouting code of conduct and threatened with sanctionsThe University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has threatened to discipline and withhold degrees from at least 55 students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, according to faculty members supporting the students.Students who were arrested on 2 May when police forcefully raided the Gaza solidarity encampment received letters on Friday from administrators accusing them of violating the student code of conduct and warning them of a range of potentially serious sanctions. In the letters, copies of which have been reviewed by the Guardian, assistant deans write that the students failed to respond to police's dispersal orders and engaged in disorderly behavior", disturbing the peace" and failure to comply". Continue reading...

Nearly 300 people on electric scooters caught breaking laws against riding without helmets, on footpaths and ignoring traffic lights