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An ex-ENO artistic head and the director who staged War Horse working on a contemporary opera about drug addiction crisisThe opioid crisis is to be the subject of a new opera by a former artistic director of English National Opera (ENO) and the man behind the stage adaptation of War Horse.The Galloping Cure would tell a lurid tale of the greed surrounding the tragedy of the opioid crisis", said Tom Morris, its director. Continue reading...

Gunman shot Jennifer and Gretl Petelczyc, aged 59 and 18, at Floreat home where it's believed his ex-wife was staying, before taking his own life

Numbers waiting for treatment have increased by 27% in less than two years as the UK's population ages and grows more obeseThe rising number of people waiting for physiotherapy treatment is causing problems in other parts of the NHS and harming the UK's economy, leading clinicians have warned.Waiting lists for treatment for musculoskeletal (MSK) problems such as back, neck and knee pain have grown by 27% since January last year. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) said the number of physiotherapy posts in the NHS was not keeping pace with demand from Britain's ageing and increasingly obese population. Continue reading...

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The author of an acclaimed new biography of the Labour leader, reveals what has driven him to change his party - and why he now wants to do the same for the countryOver a cup of tea around his kitchen table a few weeks ago, Keir Starmer compared waiting for the general election to being in jail. It feels like I'mchalking off the days on my cellwall before I can be released," he told me.Like many real prison inmates across the country recently, he's been allowed out a bit earlier than expected by the government. Rishi Sunak's surprise decision to call a 4July election means the gates haveswung open and the Labour leader is emerging into the white light of a campaign. Continue reading...

Fears that the party faced an awkward wait before an autumn poll are over, yet the Tories aim to undermine it on areas like defenceLabour has been rescued from an awkward summer vacuum by Rishi Sunak's surprise snap election, senior figures believe.Some of the party's most prominent figures are using this weekend to ridicule the chaotic start of the Tory campaign, accusing Sunak of displaying a reverse Midas touch" after his rain-soaked election announcement outside Downing Street and a series of early gaffes on the campaign trail. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer makes Scotland central to the mission' as polls indicate an election meltdown for beleaguered nationalistsThe deputy leader of Scottish Labour said she was taking nothing for granted" after a poll suggested the party is poised for huge gains north of the border at the general election.Jackie Baillie said: We are moving in the right direction but I always approach elections with respect ... We have our candidates out there, knocking on as many doors as they can. We started last year with maybe six target seats and now we have considerably more than that." Continue reading...

Prime minister knows economy is likely to be in even worse shape by autumn or winter, but summer's good news won't impress a battered publicThere was an economic logic to Rishi Sunak's election dash, a decision that defied earlier predictions of a vote in the autumn or even winter. The prime minister could see that hopes of a recovery were fading, and with them his chances of redemption as the architect of Britain's future prosperity.Unemployment was going to continue rising. Inflation, after falling steadily over the past year, could bounce back in the autumn. And interest rates, which are a burden for mortgage payers and indebted businesses alike, looked like remaining stubbornly high. Continue reading...

Due to new import controls, a judging session for the Great Taste awards is being held outside the UK for the first time in 30 yearsThe Great Taste awards are a British success story - the world's largest food awards, celebrating the best products on the planet. But new post-Brexit import controls have forced the organisers to hold a judging panel outside the UK for the first time in the awards' 30-year history.On Sunday, judges from the Guild of Fine Foods panel will travel to County Tipperary in Ireland to spend three days tasting products that have become much harder to bring to the UK. Continue reading...

Steven Miles says pre-election trial will save commuters money and boost patronage but transport experts question if funds could be better spent

Queensland police service says the incident is being assessed by the ethical standards command

This blog has now closed. You can read our latest report on the Israel-Gaza war here and all our coverage on the conflict hereAl Jazeera are reporting that an Israeli military strike has targeted a family home in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood, killing a woman and injuring other people. It attributes the information to colleagues on the ground".The publication, citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa, reports that numerous other neighbourhoods of Gaza City have come under heavy artillery shelling ... including Sheikh Ajlin, Tal al-Hawa and Zeitoun". Continue reading...

Labour lambasts youth policy as desperate and unfunded' and designed to make youngsters fix government-created problemsRishi Sunak has announced that a future Conservative government would bring back mandatory national service, as he attempted to reignite his election campaign after an error-strewn start.Under the plan, which appeared to be his latest attempt to reduce Tory losses by winning over voters drifting to Reform UK, the prime minister late Saturday said that every 18-year-old would have to spend time in a competitive, full-time military commission or spend one weekend a month volunteering in civil resilience". Continue reading...

Boy arrested on suspicion of the murder of Kamari Johnson, who died at the scene in Hayes on FridayA 17-year-old boy has been arrested after another teenage boy, 16, was stabbed to death in London.An investigation was launched after police were called at about 1.30pm on Friday to reports of a stabbing in Hayes, west London. Continue reading...

The federal government hopes parents will educate themselves so they can teach their children to have safe, healthy relationships'

The agency's GenCost analysis says a first nuclear plant for Australia would deliver power no sooner than 2040' and could cost more than $17bn

Dozens also injured after guided bombs hit residential area, in attack Zelenskiy says is terrorism'Russian strikes on a crowded DIY hardware store and a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least six people and injured 40 on Saturday, local officials said.Four people were killed after two guided bombs hit the DIY hypermarket in a residential area of the city, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television, while 40 people were injured in the attack and 16 still unaccounted for. Continue reading...

Bestselling writer says Lake District sites in new book You Are Here are genuinely all made up'David Nicholls has warned his fans not to attempt to visit the locations in his new novel. While those who loved the hit Netflix adaptation of Nicholls' novel One Day have been able to visit locations from the series, such as the Lewisham pizza joint Bella Roma or Charlton Lido, the locations in You Are Here are genuinely all made up", the author said.The novel, which was published last month and follows a midlife couple as they hike through the Lake District, contain a disclaimer from the author explaining that while he has tried to describe the landscape as accurately as possible, the pubs, hotels and restaurants along the way are all entirely fictional", and he has also taken a few small liberties with the route". Continue reading...

Dan Paterson and Pastenji Sherpa went missing during descent after landslide of snow and ice on mountainA British man and his Nepali guide are believed to be dead after reaching the summit of Mount Everest on Tuesday, a guiding company said.Dan Paterson, 40, and Pastenji Sherpa, 23, reached the peak just before 5am on Tuesday but have not been heard from since, according to Paterson's partner, Becks Woodhead. Continue reading...

Rapper detained at Schiphol on suspicion of possessing soft drugs' hours before show in ManchesterNicki Minaj has been arrested at an airport in the Netherlands hours before she was due to perform at Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday and appeared to livestream the encounter with security staff.The 41-year-old rapper was detained on suspicion of possessing soft drugs" at Schiphol airport while travelling from Amsterdam to Manchester for her Pink Friday 2 Tour show. Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM made flying visit to his North Yorkshire constituency, using millionaire's chopper to return to LondonRishi Sunak took a helicopter owned by a millionaire Conservative donor to fly from North Yorkshire to London on Saturday, before appearing at a hastily arranged campaign trip in south London.The prime minister made two relatively low-key campaign stops during the day, after the Guardian revealed on Friday he was planning to spend the day solely in his constituency and London. Continue reading...

The shadow chancellor has accused Conservatives of making unfunded financial commitments after calling a snap electionShadow chancellor Rachel Reeves accuses the Tories of making 64bn of unfunded spending commitments in a desperate and reckless" effort to rescue their gaffe-strewn general election campaign.Speaking to the Observer, Reeves said that what appeared to be pledges to slash taxes - including national insurance, income tax and inheritance tax - were reminiscent of Liz Truss's catastrophic mini-budget and showed the Conservatives had learnt nothing from her disastrous time at No 10. Continue reading...

Police in Rajkot, Gujarat, say blaze now under control and rescue operation under wayAt least 20 people, most of them children, have died after a huge fire broke out at an amusement park in western India, police said.The fire erupted at the park in the city of Rajkot in Gujarat state on Saturday. Police commissioner Raju Bhargava said the fire was under control and the rescue operation was under way with 20 bodies recovered. Continue reading...

Mashallah Karami sentenced to six years after pleading for his son's life to be sparedIranian authorities have jailed a father who campaigned unsuccessfully for clemency for his 22-year-old son after he was sentenced to death in connection with 2022 protests, his lawyer said Saturday.Mashallah Karami was sentenced to six years in prison by a Revolutionary court in the Tehran satellite city of Karaj on charges of illegally organising gatherings and collecting donations, his lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, said on X, adding that the verdict had flaws" and would be appealed. Continue reading...

Plane was part of RAF Battle of Britain memorial flight, which maintains historic aircraft in airworthy conditionA pilot has died after a Spitfire crashed in a field near an RAF base in Lincolnshire, a Royal Air Force spokesperson has confirmed.It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of an RAF pilot in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby today," a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said. Continue reading...

Lambeth Palace documents show purchase of enslaved people in 18th century approved by Anglican archbishop Life on plantations owned by Church of England missionary armAn archbishop of Canterbury in the 18th century approved payments for the purchase of enslaved people for two sugar plantations in Barbados, documents seen by the Observer have revealed.Thomas Secker agreed to reimburse a payment for 1,093 for the purchase of enslaved people on the Codrington Plantations, as well as hiring enslaved people from a third party. It was stated the measures were calculated for the future lasting advantages of the estates". Continue reading...

The bills of fare for dinners with kings, presidents and dictators show how tastes have changed over 150 yearsOn Friday, 22 May 1896, guests of Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle had a lot on their plates. A handwritten menu shows Her Majesty's Dinner" offered soup with vermicelli, trout meuniere, boudin (black pudding), quails, ducklings and spinach with croutons followed by peaches and cream, then cheese. For those still peckish, hot and cold meats including pork tongue and beef were laid out on a side table.The finely decorated card is one of 4,600 menus in a unique collection being sold in Paris on Friday, spanning 150 years of high-society dining from the late 19th century. Continue reading...

Seats of Jeremy Hunt and Gillian Keegan included in long-planned assault, as party aims to persuade Labour supporters to lend them their votesMore than 2 million leaflets will be distributed by the Liberal Democrats in their target blue wall" seats this weekend as the party launches its bid to dislodge some of the most senior Conservatives from parliament.The seats of cabinet ministers Jeremy Hunt and Gillian Keegan have been included in the party's long-planned assault on liberal Tory heartland seats that have been drifting away from the party since 2019. Michael Gove's Surrey Heath seat was already in Lib Dem plans before the levelling up secretary announced on Friday night he was stepping down. Continue reading...

Party leader says if you can work, pay tax and serve in armed forces you should be able to vote UK politics live - latest updatesSixteen- and 17-year-olds could be given the right to vote if Labour wins the general election, Keir Starmer has confirmed.If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your armed forces, then you ought to be able to vote," the Labour leader said while campaigning at a football ground in the West Midlands. Continue reading...

Barring miracles or disasters on the campaign trail, a change of government appears to be just weeks awayHere we go again. For the third time in a row, the general election starting gun has been fired early by a Conservative prime minister. Theresa May started well ahead and nearly lost it all. Boris Johnson started well ahead and took that lead to the bank. Rishi Sunak doesn't start with his predecessors' advantages - his is the gamble of a man with nothing to lose.Victory requires an unprecedented turnaround. All the evidence suggests it is instead Sunak's Labour opponent, Keir Starmer, who is about to make history. But he, too, faces a mammoth task in the coming weeks, as he seeks to take Labour from its worst Commons defeat in 90 years to a governing majority in one big leap. Continue reading...

Charities call for law within first 100 days after general election to ensure annual rises in the financial help parents receiveThe next government should pass a new law within 100 days of winning the general election that would commit ministers to eradicating child poverty for good, the five biggest UKchildren's charities say this weekend.The organisations demand legislation in the first king's speech that would include plans for a child lock" - equivalent to the current pensions triple lock". Continue reading...

Provisional official figures deal blow to Rishi Sunak's claim that threat of Rwanda deportation is a deterrentA record 10,170 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel in small boats, according to government data.The provisional figure beats the previous record of 9,326 who crossed to the UK by this time in 2017. The comparable figure for last year was 7,326. Continue reading...

Yellow warnings for swathes of England and north Wales on Sunday as Met Office predicts up to 40mm of rainGrey clouds, wet weather and heavy thunderstorms will dampen the bank holiday weekend for many, with yellow warnings in place from midday on Sunday.Although Saturday will remain largely dry and bright, with temperatures reaching as high as 22C in London and south-east England, the late May bank holiday could end in a washout, with scattered, heavy and thundery downpours" predicted by the Met Office. Continue reading...

Palace officials have struggled to find the workers needed to open the doors at the king's London home this summerEven the monarchy is not immune to Brexit. The king's London home, Clarence House, will be closed to tourists this summer because of staff shortages in the royal household caused by Brexit and the pandemic.Palace officials had hoped to open this summer, along with another royal retreat, Frogmore House, where Prince Harry and Meghan had their evening wedding reception. But the Royal Collection Trust, the department of the royal household that oversees tourist visits to the palaces, has struggled to find people willing to work in front-of-house, retail, catering and other jobs. Continue reading...

Exclusive: after cryptosporidium outbreak in Devon, residents in south-east London report stomach cramps and diarrhoeaThames Water has sent samples of water for lab testing after dozens of people reported becoming unwell with stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea in south-east London.Earlier this month, unsafe drinking water led to more than 100 cases of a waterborne disease in Devon, with people asked to boil their water because of contamination fears. Continue reading...

Rosy saxifrage returns to Eryri, where it was last seen in the wild in 1962A plant that has been extinct in the wild in Great Britain for more than 60 years has been reintroduced at a secret location.The rosy saxifrage, a small mountain jewel plant, was last seen in the wild in 1962 in the Cwm Idwal nature reserve in Eryri. It is listed as extinct. Continue reading...

Blocked roads have hampered relief efforts to Yambali village, where officials fear death toll could reach well over 100An emergency convoy is delivering food, water and other provisions on Saturday to stunned survivors of a landslide that devastated a remote village in the mountains of Papua New Guinea and is feared to have buried scores of people, officials have said.An assessment team had reported suggestions" that 100 people were dead and 60 houses buried by the mountainside that collapsed in Enga province a few hours before dawn on Friday, according to Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the International Organisation for Migration's mission in the South Pacific island nation. Continue reading...

Police hunting for knife attacker appeal to public for witnesses and information after incident on Friday nightPolice are searching for a knife attacker who stabbed two women on a beach in Bournemouth, killing one woman and seriously injuring the other.Police were called to Durley Chine beach in Dorset at 11.42pm on Friday. A 34-year-old woman from Poole died at the scene while a 38-year-old woman, also from Poole, was taken to hospital with very serious injuries. The next of kin of both women have been informed. Continue reading...

Observer investigation reveals use of intimidating' police tactic on at least 432 minors in 2023 under age of criminal responsibilityHundreds of children under 10 faced stop and search by police last year, including some who were strip-searched, the Observer can reveal.At least 432 children under the age of criminal responsibility were searched by the police forces in England and Wales in 2023, according to data.police.uk, an official site for open data on crime and policing. Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says she too wants lower taxes for working people as both parties begin to set out economic plans

Police believe the man was looking for his former wife at the house where he killed a 59-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter

Foreign ministry's claim follows death of ex-Royal Marine charged with spying in Britain for Hong KongChina has accused the UK of false accusations, wanton stigmatisation" and arbitrary arrests after the unexplained death of a man charged with illegally assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service.China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong said in a statement on its website on Saturday that it strongly condemned Britain for what it said were false accusations against Chinese citizens, infringing their lawful rights. Continue reading...

Billionaire developer jokes he in fact spends no time at penthouse with record-breaking 175m asking priceThe billionaire British property developer Nick Candy has said he only spends about 20 days a year in his 175m penthouse flat at One Hyde Park in London.Candy, 51, who developed the superluxe" Knightsbridge apartment building overlooking the royal park and acquired one of the flats for himself, said it irritated him that he was paying service charges of up to 161,000 a year (or 3,000 a week) when he was rarely there. The development has a private cinema, 21-metre lap pool, as well as sauna, gym, golf simulator, wine cellar, valet service and room service from the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel next door. Continue reading...

Foreign ministers confident of agreement to use bank assets as security for Ukraine reconstruction loanHopes of a multi-country deal to use $300bn of Russian state assets frozen in the European banking system to support Ukraine have grown after it emerged that G7 ministers were confident of overcoming technical and political obstacles at a meeting in northern Italy on Saturday.The Canadian finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, said she was optimistic that G7 leaders would reach an agreement, as support coalesced around a plan to use frozen Russian central bank assets as security for a $50bn (39bn) loan. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Radosaw Sikorski also says he favours deepest possible inclusion of UK in EU defence structuresA long-term rearmament of Europe, in which the UK can play the closest possible role, is necessary to defeat Russian imperial ambitions, Poland's foreign minister has said.Radosaw Sikorski also called for majority voting for EU sanctions and a 5,000-strong EU mechanised brigade, and said Poland was willing to back an EU-wide scheme to incentivise Ukrainian draft dodgers to return to their homeland. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Experts say changes to Grand Mosque of Shadian mark completion of five-year sinification campaignThe last major mosque in China to have retained Islamic-style features has lost its domes and had its minarets radically modified, marking what experts say is the completion of a government campaign to sinicise the country's Muslim places of worship.The Grand Mosque of Shadian, one of China's biggest and grandest mosques, towers over the small town from which it takes its name in south-western Yunnan province. Continue reading...

More than 500,000 chickens from two farms in Meredith and Terang have been culled after detection of H7N3 cases

Staff raise concerns as Wyee rehoming centre abruptly closed after steep drop in gambling revenue for governing body

IDS says a change in ownership may lead to material uncertainty' over the company's futureRoyal Mail's owner has warned that a potential 3.5bn bid by the Czech billionaire Daniel Ketinsky could create risk around the company's finances.The warning came as the industry regulator Ofcom announced that it had opened an investigation into the parent group, International Distributions Services (IDS), for failing to meet its annual delivery targets for the second year in a row. Last year, Ofcom fined the company 5.6m for failing to meet its first-class and second-class delivery targets in 2022-23. Continue reading...

Child fell from upper floor of flat on Hotspur Street in Kennington on Friday afternoon and died at the scene, police saidA child has died after falling from a block of flats in south-east London. The child fell from the upper floor of a flat on Hotspur Street in Kennington on Friday afternoon and died at the scene, the Metropolitan police said.Police were called to the address at 4.23pm, and said that so far there was nothing to indicate that the incident is suspicious". Continue reading...