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Kevin Craig, standing in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, suspended as Tories drop support for two hopefuls in election betting U-turnLabour has suspended one of its general election candidates after the party was drawn into the controversy surrounding betting and the general election.Kevin Craig, Labour's Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate, was administratively" suspended after Labour was told by the Gambling Commission that an investigation had been launched into one of the party's candidates. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Welsh politician Russell George told by Gambling Commission he is part of inquiry as Tories drop Craig Williams and Laura SaundersA Conservative politician has become the fifth party figure to be investigated by the gambling watchdog for allegedly placing a suspicious bet on the general election date, as the developing scandal continued to overshadow Rishi Sunak's campaign.The Gambling Commission has informed Russell George, a Tory member of the Welsh parliament who represents the same constituency as Sunak's closest parliamentary aide Craig Williams, that he is part of its inquiry. Continue reading...

First contingent of multinational team lands in operation to end chaos in gang-controlled countryHundreds of Kenyan police officers have arrived in Haiti as part of a US-backed security intervention aiming to rescue the Caribbean country from a criminal insurrection that toppled the prime minister and brought death and chaos to the streets.About 400 members of the Kenya-led multinational police operation stepped off a Kenyan Airways plane at Port-au-Prince's international airport on Tuesday. The US president, Joe Biden, hailed their arrival as the start of an effort that will bring much-needed relief to Haitians". Continue reading...

Gareth Jenkins, co-architect of flawed Horizon IT system, was expert witness in wrongful prosecutions of operatorsA former IT engineer has admitted he changed crucial expert court testimony at the request of the Post Office during wrongful prosecutions of branch operators.Gareth Jenkins, a former senior engineer at the contractor Fujitsu, on Tuesday told the public inquiry into one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history that lawyers had asked him to change witness statements. Continue reading...

Charity says it has breathing space' after donation, as Liverpool food bank network also receives incredible gift'Taylor Swift has a convoy of at least 50 trucks for her Eras tour, and now her donations to food banks in every UK city in which she performs have enabled one charity to use a lorry of its own.Thanks to a discreet donation by Swift - the largest donation by an individual that Cardiff Foodbank has ever received - the charity says it has the breathing space" to try something different. Continue reading...

At least five demonstrators reportedly shot dead at rally against legislation to raise taxes during a cost of living crisisPolice have opened fire on protesters outside the Kenyan parliament as they attempted to storm the building while MPs inside passed legislation to raise taxes.At least five people were shot dead, according to Reuters, amid chaotic scenes in which police started shooting after teargas and water cannon failed to disperse a crowd of thousands who had overwhelmed officers. Flames could be seen coming from inside the building. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can read more about Julian Assange's release from prison here:

Leftist film-maker Michael Moore applauds deal while Mike Pence says it dishonors' US military membersReaction to the news that Julian Assange had agreed to plead guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act in order to go free came from various parts of the US political spectrum on Tuesday.James Clapper, director of US national intelligence in 2010 when Assange and his WikiLeaks organization published secret US intelligence documents with a consortium of newspapers including the Guardian, told CNN: I actually think this came out pretty well ... Critical to this was his plea of one count of espionage.

Sir Tim Laurence brings Princess Royal a few little treats from home' and says she is making slow but sure' progressThe Princess Royal, who is recovering from head injuries believed to have been inflicted by a horse, is making slow but sure" progress, her husband has said.V Adm Sir Tim Laurence visited Anne after she spent a second night at Southmead hospital in Bristol, where she remains under observation having had a concussion. Continue reading...

UK government deal struck at height of pandemic described as colossal misuse of public funds'An estimated 1.4bn-worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) bought by the government in single a deal has been destroyed or written off, according to new figures described as the worst example of waste in the Covid pandemic.The figures obtained by the BBC under freedom of information laws showed that 1.57bn items from the NHS supplier Full Support Healthcare will never been used. Continue reading...

Army chief and ex-minister of defence accused over missile attacks on civilian targets

Tenterden-based producer seeks investment to plant more vineyards and build new winery

Force says Gambling Commission has passed it information alleging more police placed bets relating to date of poll

Exclusive: Organisation that collects and distributes royalties in UK says it will vigorously defend' lawsuit which alleges preferential treatment for major songwritersA group of songwriters, including Jim and William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain and King Crimson's Robert Fripp, are suing UK body PRS for Music over how it handles royalties from live performances, accusing it of levying high administration costs for smaller songwriters while giving preferential treatment to already successful stars.PRS has a near monopoly in the UK, acting as an intermediary between companies that play music (such as radio stations and shops as well as live events) and those who write it: companies sign licences, and PRS distributes the proceeds to songwriters. Continue reading...

Fedja Stukan says he was not allowed to enter country after writing dangerous book' on his experience in 1990s warA Bosnian actor who was deported from Serbia this week has said he believes he was expelled for writing openly about his experience in the war in the 1990s and that there is no such thing" as freedom of expression under the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vui.Serbian authorities detained Fedja Stukan after he arrived at a Belgrade airport to attend a literary festival and put him on a flight to Sarajevo on Monday. Continue reading...

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Pharma group plans plant in North Carolina to produce diabetes drug and weight-loss product Wegovy

Drug charity The Loop says young festivalgoers are particularly at risk as potency of pills returns to pre-pandemic levelsSuper-strength ecstasy pills containing potentially life-threatening levels of MDMA are in circulation in the UK for possibly the first time in five years, a non-profit has warned ahead of Glastonbury festival this weekend.The Loop, which has recently conducted drug checking at Manchester's Parklife festival and in Bristol, has urged revellers to be cautious after testing ecstasy pills containing more than 300mg of MDMA, with average strength levels returning to pre-pandemic levels. Continue reading...

First-term senator risks membership after voting against her party by supporting motion on Palestinian statehood

Mayor Clover Moore says procurement and investment should be examined to potentially put additional pressure towards a ceasefire' in Gaza

PM is still expected to win Richmond and Northallerton for the Tories - but it could be close, say his constituentsWhile few would suggest that the party that puts up the most campaign materials will always win an election, posters are nonetheless a reasonable indication of who enjoys the most support locally - and in Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire constituency they are conspicuously absent.In previous elections, Conservative placards have lined the network of A-roads that span Richmond and Northallerton like rows of dominoes. But this week there are none to be seen - and in Richmond itself there is a smattering of Labour and Liberal Democrat posters. Continue reading...

It is anticipated the WikiLeaks founder will plead guilty to violating US espionage law at a hearing in Saipan and will be allowed to return to Australia

Investigation finds funds touting ethical credentials include fast fashion labels and fossil fuel companiesFast fashion labels, fossil fuel companies and SUV-makers are present in EU-regulated sustainable" funds that tout their ethical credentials in their names, the Guardian and media partners can reveal, with $18bn (14bn) of their investments going to the 200 biggest polluters.Investors hold more than $87bn (68bn) in funds that disclose under environmental and social sections of EU sustainable finance rules while including some of the biggest emitters of planet-heating gas, an analysis of data from the last quarter of 2023 shows. About one-fifth of the $87bn investments come from funds that also market themselves using environmentally-friendly terms. Continue reading...

The former Jetstar pilot has been found guilty of murdering Carol Clay and not guilty of murdering Russell Hill in the Wonnangatta Valley in 2020. Here's everything you need to know:

Gang leader says 50,000 can be made in half an hour by watching a user enter a pin and then stealing their deviceCriminal gang members who shoulder-surf" smartphone users for their pin number are stealing as many as 20 handsets each a day and then raiding their victims' bank accounts, it has been claimed.In an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, a criminal gang leader" suggested that in the case of one victim it took just half an hour to gain access to their banking apps and steal tens of thousands of pounds. Continue reading...

Using the tax system to prevent the tech giant from pulling news from its platforms one option being looked at, Treasury official tells parliament

Great dane, named after protagonist of Home Alone film series, died after falling ill and undergoing surgeryThe world's tallest male dog - a great dane from Iowa named Kevin who was comically skittish despite his imposing frame - has died unexpectedly, leaving his owners to mourn that humans never [have] enough time" with such majestic pets.Kevin, age three, died after falling ill and undergoing an unplanned surgery, according to a statement on Monday from Guinness World Records, who in March officially recognized the great dane as the globe's tallest dog. Continue reading...

More than 50 years on from its release, the concept album has been reimagined in a collaboration with Sadler's Wells and will tour in 2025Quadrophenia has had many lives since its release in 1973: first as a groundbreaking concept album, then a 1979 cult film starring Phil Daniels and Sting, before several live revivals, including one for the Teenage Cancer Trust in 2010 that featured Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and the former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan.When the Who's Pete Townshend wrote it in the early 1970s, he wanted to release a record that would reconnect the band with its mod fanbase, who had drifted away from the group and were obsessed with soul music, sharp fashion and scooters.Quadrophenia: the Mod Ballet opens at Plymouth Theatre Royal on 28 May 2025 before touring the UK Continue reading...

Labor's Julian Hill says prime minister Anthony Albanese deserves enormous credit' for pursuing the resolution of Assange's caseThe WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be judged poorly for accepting a deal to get the hell out of there and come home" in light of his poor health, an Australian MP has said.Australian politicians have reacted cautiously to reports of a plea deal to end the US pursuit of Assange in connection with the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as diplomatic cables. Continue reading...

We're doing this because all the evidence says it works,' premier Jacinta Allan says

Christine Assange says release from prison shows power of quiet diplomacy' as she thanks those who put Julian's welfare first'Julian Assange's mother says she is grateful her son's ordeal is finally coming to an end" after the Australian citizen was released from jail in the UK to seal a US plea deal. Assange's father described the breakthrough as wonderful" and energising".The WikiLeaks X account tweeted on Tuesday that Julian Assange is free", stating that he left Belmarsh prison in London on Monday and posting footage of him boarding a plane departing the UK. Continue reading...

The Espionage Act will still hang over the heads of journalists reporting on national security issues, not just in the USThe release from a UK prison of Julian Assange is a victory for him and his many supporters around the world, but not necessarily a clear win for the principle underlying his defence, the freedom of the press.The charges Assange is anticipated to plead guilty to as part of a US deal, and for which he will be sentenced to time served, are drawn from the 1917 Espionage Act, for conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information related to the national defense of the United States". Continue reading...

Self-titled album, to be released in September, was almost finished before the Grammy nominee died in 2021, aged 34A final, posthumous album by Sophie, the pop producer who died suddenly in 2021 at the age of 34, will be released on 27 September.The self-titled album is the first new music from Sophie since the musician died after an accidental fall at home in Greece three years ago, and the first LP since Sophie's 2018 debut, Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides. Continue reading...

Greens leader Adam Bandt accuses Labor of wanting to make cuts to services' for disabled people

TUC says party has overseen huge rise' in poverty, as Resolution Foundation says average wages just 16 a week higher in real terms than in 2010The crisis of poverty that has taken root in the UK over the past 14 years has been laid bare in two reports that reveal the devastating effects low wages and price increases on the lives of 900,000 children.With both main parties proposing tough welfare spending plans, reports have highlighted the link between rising child poverty and slow wage growth under five Conservative governments since 2010 - the slowest growth since the second world war. Continue reading...

French president's comments made on podcast as RN releases manifesto pledging to limit immigration'French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the far right National Rally (RN) party and the leftwing New Popular Front coalition - both of which are frontrunners in the parliamentary election - risked bringing civil war" to France.Macron told the podcast Generation Do It Yourself that the manifesto of the RN party - which election pollsters put in first place - and their solutions to deal with fears over crime and immigration were based upon stigmatisation or division". Continue reading...

Total of 12,901 people seeking asylum have crossed this year, passing previous six-month record of 12,747 in 2022

The 56-year-old tourist was visiting the volcano near Naples with his family as temperatures in Italy reached 40CA British man has died of a suspected heart attack after ascending to the crater of Mount Vesuvius during a family holiday.The tourist, named by Italian media as Mark John Irwin, died on Sunday after climbing the volcano near Naples, in southern Italy, during the visit with his wife and two children. Continue reading...

Several people missing after eight-storey building in Fryazino erupted in flamesTwo men jumped to their deaths and several other people are missing after an eight-storey office building near Moscow erupted in flames.Video taken in the town of Fryazino on Monday showed smoke and flames billowing out of at least three of the building's top floors and a group of four people huddled around a broken window trying to escape. Continue reading...

Prime minister faces claim Tories are stealing the candlesticks' on the way out of government

Author responds after shadow chancellor says party would be really happy' to give her assurances'JK Rowling has agreed to meet with Labour after Rachel Reeves said the party would be really happy" to give her assurances" over its plans to change the process through which people can legally change gender.Speaking in Scotland, Reeves said protection for women-only spaces would absolutely stay", adding: We're not going to be changing anything around biological sex ... we're really happy to talk to JK Rowling to give her assurances about that." Continue reading...

Fashion house takes inspiration from Olympic Games in grandest sense for show in garden of Musee RodinLike everyone else in Paris right now, the Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri is thinking about the Olympics. Her latest Dior haute couture show was staged in the garden of the Musee Rodin, a stone's throw from the grand open space of Esplanade des Invalides, where banks of seating are already being erected in preparation for the archery competitions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.But in haute couture, where no price tag is fewer than five figures, athleisure does not make the cut. So this season's Dior was Olympian in the grandest sense: classically draped goddess gowns, with asymmetric necklines cut to expose a shoulder and skirts cascading in silken layers. Continue reading...

Relief as Met Office predicts generally dry conditions with moderate temperatures and low wind at Worthy FarmThe prayers of every Glastonbury-goer have been answered: the weather at 2024's edition looks set to be neither horribly rainy nor horribly hot.A Met Office update on Monday stated that weather at the Worthy Farm site will be mostly warm, dry and settled". Continue reading...

Officials of Marine Le Pen's party say support in towns and village signals a clear rejection of Emmanuel MacronThe French far-right leader Jordan Bardella has said his party is ready to govern as he unveiled manifesto pledges to limit immigration and scrap nationality rights for children born and raised in France by foreign parents.In three words: we are ready," the 28-year-old president of the anti-immigration National Rally (Rassemblement - RN) said on Monday as he promised to restore faith in France and its greatness". Continue reading...

Israeli PM says he hopes for diplomatic solution to conflict but will solve it in a different way' if necessaryIsrael's prime minister has said the most intense phase of the assault against Hamas in Gaza is coming to an end, freeing up forces to move to the Lebanese border, where escalating exchanges of fire with the militant group Hezbollah have increased fears of a wider war.In his first public interview with a Hebrew-language network outlet in more than eight months of conflict, broadcast on Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu also walked back on his commitment to a US-backed ceasefire proposal with Hamas, instead suggesting a more limited offer. Continue reading...

Sindeep Singh, 47, was arrested after Bhajan Kaur's body was found in home in North EvingtonA man has been charged with the murder of a 76-year-old woman who was found dead at a home in Leicester.Sindeep Singh, 47, of no fixed address, was arrested after Bhajan Kaur's body was found inside a house in Bolsover Street, Spinney Hills, in North Evington. Continue reading...

Bezalel Smotrich says he aims to establish sovereignty over occupied territory and thwart a Palestinian stateIsrael's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has described in explicit terms his active effort to annex the West Bank to Israel, days after the Guardian revealed how the pro-settlement politician and his allies had quietly gained significant new legal powers to that end.Speaking at a meeting of his Religious Zionism party, Smotrich told colleagues that he was establish[ing] facts on the ground in order to make Judea and Samaria [an Israeli term for the occupied West Bank] an integral part of the state of Israel". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Freedom of information request shows immigration minister granted visas to individuals in some cases just hours ahead of their release through a different channel with greater monitoring

July deadline meant Labor was eager to reach agreement, despite some advocates warning against watering down the crackdown

Exclusive: Number of people betting on sport jumps in past five years while reform advocates say bookmakers grooming children'