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District education authorities launch multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Meta, Snap Inc and ByteDanceFour of Canada's largest school boards have launched a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the social media companies Meta, Snap Inc and ByteDance, accusing them of acting in a high-handed, reckless, malicious, and reprehensible manner" with products the boards claim harm student learning and rewire" how children think.The four district boards - Ottawa-Carleton, Toronto, Peel and Toronto Catholic - filed four separate statements of claim in Ontario's superior court of justice on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Investigation reveals reports of miscarriages, infections and birth defects among women and girls in mining communitiesWomen and girls living in cobalt-mining communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are reporting a staggering" rise in serious reproductive health issues, including miscarriages and birth defects, according to a new report.An investigation published by the UK-based human rights group Rights & Accountability in Development (Raid) and the Kinshasa-based NGO Afrewatch said that women and girls living around cobalt mines reported experiencing irregular menstruations, urogenital infections, vaginal mycoses and warts. Continue reading...

Man in his 40s detained on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, Essex police sayA man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the death of the Gogglebox star George Gilbey, who died after a fall at work, Essex police said.The 40-year-old reality star was best known for appearing on the Channel 4 series alongside his mother, Linda McGarry, and stepfather Pete McGarry, who died aged 71 in 2021. Continue reading...

Israeli PM had cancelled officials' US visit to discuss planned offensive in southern Gaza after the US refused to veto a UN security council vote on a ceasefire

The London classical music venue announces plan against a background of arts funding cuts and in an uncertain public environment for classical music'London classical music venue Wigmore Hall has announced a 10m fund with the aim to be self-sustaining without need for public funds. It is believed to be the first major concert hall to take such a step in what a statement described as an uncertain public environment for classical music in the UK".The venue has an annual grant of 344,206 from Arts Council England (ACE) but John Gilhooly, Wigmore Hall's artistic and executive director, says that it is already 97% self-funded". He added that 7m had already been pledged for the new fund, called the Director's Fund, and that the venue hoped to raise 10m by 2027, and 20m within a decade. Continue reading...

Greens immigration spokesperson says bill expands ministerial power to reverse protection findings and deport people previously granted asylum

Researchers find self-regulation by companies like Meta or TikTok doesn't work'

Line closures and strikes coinciding with school holidays and turbulent weather are expected to hit travel plansA long Good Friday looms for many drivers and rail passengers who are heading off for a UK getaway, as the Easter weekend collides with the start of school holidays, engineering works and turbulent weather.With more than 14 million leisure trips planned by drivers over the coming days, motorists have been warned to expect delays on many routes. Additional cars could be forced on to the roads because of major railway line closures, with strikes hampering possible return train journeys next week. Continue reading...

Victim in critical condition after incident between Beckenham Junction and Shortlands stations, say policeA 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed on a train in south London, British Transport Police have said.A manhunt had been under way after the victim was left with life-threatening injuries after the attack between Beckenham Junction and Shortlands railway stations on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Senior medical directors warn PAs are not substitutes' for doctors amid fears patients misunderstand their level of qualificationPhysician associates (PAs) are not substitutes" for GPs and must be supervised, NHS England has said.A new letter to all GP surgeries, primary care network clinical directors, integrated care board chief executives and NHS England regional directors said PAs are specifically trained to work collaboratively with doctors and others" and all work undertaken by PAs must be supervised and debriefed with their supervising GP". Continue reading...

Membership of exclusive clubs can be unfair advantage' for some lawyers seeking to move into judiciary, says barristers' bodyExclusive members' clubs create the potential for unfair advantage" for lawyers seeking to become judges, the Bar Council has warned, responding to growing unease about senior legal practitioners who are members of the men-only Garrick club.The professional body for barristers set its comments about closed doors and exclusionary spaces" against the background of wider concerns over the under-representation of women in the judiciary, and persistent gender disparities in female lawyers' career progression and earnings. Continue reading...

Nicholas Cullinan, head of National Portrait Gallery, replaces Hartwig Fischer who resigned over loss of hundreds of objectsThe British Museum has appointed the National Portrait Gallery head, Nicholas Cullinan, as its new director, after it emerged last year that hundreds of objects had been allegedly stolen from the museum's collection.He replaces the interim director, Sir Mark Jones, the former head of the Victoria and Albert Museum, who stood in for the former director Hartwig Fischer. Fischer resigned last year over the scandal. Continue reading...

Labour deputy leader says she can provide tax advice given at time after Tory complaint to Manchester force

Deal to send hundreds of officers to Caribbean country amid spiraling gang violence is facing intense public and legal scrutinyHaiti's raging gang insurrection has prompted growing concern in Kenya over plans to deploy hundreds of paramilitary police officers from the East African country on a UN-backed multinational mission to counter the violence.If they come back in body bags, what will [Kenyan President William Ruto] tell the nation?" said Ekuru Aukot, leader of the opposition Thirdway Alliance, who last year filed a legal challenge against the deployment. Continue reading...

The party whip says she plans to stay in the Senate as an independent after Lambie suggested she should go it alone'

Exclusive: Dfat official said there was precious nothing in the public domain' on claims against aid agency hours before pause announced

Prime minister Anthony Albanese says China's duties on Australian bottled wine will come to an end from Friday

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Admission of girls to the private school will proceed despite almost 800 former students voting out alumni union president Alexander Pagonis

Decision announced on eve of Easter long weekend following weeks of controversy over Jackson's former work as a journalist

Retailer's action taken to avoid cash shortage if the money-moving company were to reduce or cease deliveries

Exclusive: Man who has now given party at least 10m copied Steve Barclay into email about problems with bid, documents showThe Conservative mega-donor Frank Hester complained to the NHS and the health secretary last year over problems his IT business had bidding for a contract, documents show.The Leeds businessman, who owns a healthcare tech firm responsible for 60m UK medical records, raised a complaint about procurement in December 2022 with the chair of NHS England, copying in Steve Barclay, the then health secretary, saying he was an interested party". Continue reading...

Victoria McCloud wants leave to join litigation in supreme court appeal brought by For Women ScotlandThe UK's first transgender judge is seeking leave to join the litigation in a crucial supreme court case that could significantly affect legal protections for transgender women, the Guardian has learned.Victoria McCloud, a senior civil judge who became the youngest person appointed as master of the high court in 2010, will make an application to intervene in the supreme court appeal brought by the campaign group For Women Scotland about the legal definition of woman". Interveners can put a case without being among the main parties to the litigation. Continue reading...

On 5 Live's 30th birthday, Heidi Dawson says more of the BBC should be based outside London to reflect the national conversationMore of the BBC needs to be based outside London to reflect the conversation of the nation" and secure its future, according to the controller of BBC Radio 5 Live.As the station celebrates its 30th birthday on Thursday, with a series of shows and tributes, Heidi Dawson says 5 Live is well placed to see off the multiple headwinds buffeting its HQ in London, including a further 200m in annual cuts announced by the BBC's director general this week. Continue reading...

Bill being laid before Scottish parliament could, if approved, allow people in Britain to take their own lives within the lawUK membership of Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying association, has jumped to 1,900 people - a 24% rise during 2023 - as an assisted dying bill is laid before the Scottish parliament.People from the UK now make up the second largest group who have signed up to the organisation, which is based near Zurich and helps people take their own lives. The largest group is currently Germans, although they can now get help to end their lives at home after a 2020 court ruling. Continue reading...

Martin Lewis among those encouraging consumers to make a note so they do not overpay when cap reducedMillions of households are being urged to submit meter readings to their energy supplier this weekend to ensure they do not overpay when cheaper prices come in on Monday.The consumer champion Martin Lewis is among those urging people to get their phones, pens and notepads out so that they benefit fully from the 12.3% cut to the Ofgem energy price cap, which is altered quarterly. Continue reading...

Les Jeux Olympiques: Miroir des Societes opens ahead of Paris Olympics and puts previous games in context of conflicts and injusticesFrom the Nazi stadium propaganda in 1936 Berlin to the 1968 Mexico City podium protest of medal-winners Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who were expelled from the competition after raising their gloved fists in a Black Power salute against racial injustice, the Olympic Games have held a mirror up to some of the darkest moments of 20th-century history.Now, as the Paris Olympics prepares to open this summer against a backdrop of war from Ukraine to the Middle East - with Emmanuel Macron saying Russia will be asked to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Games - a new exhibition in Paris takes an unflinching look at the social and geopolitical impact of the Games over the last century. Continue reading...

Suzannah Henty says the spray-painting of monuments shows they continue to have a damaging impact on Indigenous people

Haiti has erupted into violence after gangs laid waste to the capital and forced the prime minister to resign. But Haitians are wary from bitter experience of outside forces intervening to find a solution to the crisisA few weeks ago, two of the main criminal gangs in Haiti joined forces, staging a full-scale insurrection while the prime minister, Ariel Henry, was travelling abroad. Thousands of gang members took over government buildings, police stations and hospitals and broke into prisons, where they released thousands more gang members into their ranks. Before long, it was clear that the Haitian government and the police had lost control of the capital, Port-au-Prince.Widlore Merancourt, the editor-in-chief of Haiti's Ayibo Post, tells Michael Safi that for the first time he fears for his life while reporting from Port-au-Prince, such is the violent chaos there. Continue reading...

Justice Michael Wheelahan orders cases of Moira Deeming, Kellie-Jay Keen and Angie Jones to be held concurrently in September

Bodybuilder Stefan Kohut's account shut after Guardian Australia report, but others continue to showcase the controversial products

UK does not solicit, encourage or condone' inhumane treatment, but critics say ministerial approval system contradicts thisThe number of requests for UK ministerial approval of intelligence-sharing where there was a real risk of torture, unlawful killing or extraordinary rendition has more than doubled in a year.The investigatory powers commissioner's report outlining the rise comes after a parliamentary debate on Monday in which MPs from across the political divide questioned the adequacy of the UK's policy on torture under the Fulford principles. Continue reading...

Pre-recorded message for Maundy service in Worcester Cathedral will be played as Camilla stands in for monarchKing Charles will highlight the importance of friendship in a time of need" on Thursday in his first public comments since the Princess of Wales announced that she was receiving treatment for cancer.In his second Easter message as king, Charles will say how Christ set an example of how we should serve and care for each other", and how as a nation we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need". Continue reading...

Dublin joins South Africa's case in the international court of justice, arguing that stopping delivery of essentials may constitute genocidal intent'Ireland is to seek to widen the definition of genocide to include blocking humanitarian aid in a landmark international court of justice (ICJ) case against Israel.The Irish government will intervene in the case taken by South Africa and argue that restricting food and other essentials in Gaza may constitute genocidal intent, the foreign minister Micheal Martin said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Former Parole Board chair resigned in 2018 when judges overturned a decision to release serial rapist John WorboysNo 10 has been accused of blocking the appointment of a new health ombudsman, after a panel proposed Nick Hardwick, a former Parole Board chair who resigned when judges overturned a decision to release serial rapist John Worboys.The prime minister was sent Hardwick's name for approval in January, after a six-month process by a House of Commons-appointed recruitment panel in which he was selected as the top contender on a shortlist of three. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the Baltimore bridge collapse, you can read our coverage here.A retired Coast Guard officer has said he expects the focus in Baltimore to shift to two main objectives: investigating what happened and reopening the channel as quickly and safely as possible.Divers and remote equipment will likely be used to survey debris on the channel floor both as part of the investigation and in preparation for clearing the channel, Aaron Davenport, a senior researcher with the Rand corporation, told AP.We have this big, giant ship. You don't want the ship to sink. You don't want it to leak fuel oil all over the port.My friends were working on that bridge. Continue reading...

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MP James Daly asked Greater Manchester police to examine claims Labour's deputy leader did not declare main residence accuratelyThe police are reviewing a decision not to investigate Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, over claims she may have broken electoral law.The move to reassess" a decision not to launch an investigation earlier this month was confirmed by Greater Manchester police (GMP) on Wednesday after a complaint by the Conservative MP James Daly about the force's handling of the issue. Continue reading...

Former PM says multibillion-pound fund would be transitional arrangement' to give struggling families breathing space

ATE Farms had been issued with enforcement notice for unlawful demolition after fire gutted buildingThe owners of the Crooked House pub in Himley have appealed against an order to rebuild the 18th-century building, which was demolished days after a fire last year.The blaze on 5 August, which is being treated by police as arson, and the subsequent demolition of the famously wonky Staffordshire pub prompted a national outcry. Continue reading...

Union claims up to a quarter of all academic roles at financially pressed London institution face the axePlans for mass redundancies at Goldsmiths, University of London, have been called a horrifying act of cultural and social vandalism" and the biggest assault on jobs at any UK university in recent years".The job cuts, which are now subject to a consultation, are the latest in a series of redundancies at Goldsmiths and elsewhere in the higher education sector, as universities struggle with financial pressures. Continue reading...

Oscar-winning director teaming up with conservative news channel's streaming service for new series about saintsThe Oscar-winning film-maker Martin Scorsese is teaming up with Fox News for a new docuseries.The director, who recently scored his 16th Oscar nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon, is set to host and produce a series for the conservative channel's streaming service Fox Nation. Continue reading...

Ex-president makes remarks after backlash prompted McDaniel's firing four days after hiringDonald Trump mocked the former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel, for her firing by NBC days after being hired as a political analyst.Wow!" the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, who ejected McDaniel from the RNC in favour of his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, wrote on his Truth Social platform. Continue reading...

Former Manchester United star says his near-30-year silence on subject has been his revenge on the pressIt was one of the most baffling utterances ever made by a footballer.When Eric Cantona said at a 1995 press conference: When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea," everyone was left scratching their heads. Continue reading...

Former schoolboys at the private school gave raw testimonies about abuse meted out by John Brownlee

Russian officials have repeatedly cast doubt over who was behind attack despite IS claiming responsibility and Western intelligence evidenceHere are some of the latest images from Ukraine:Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to look at how to organise the production of homegrown gaming consoles, state news agency TASS reports. Continue reading...

Met Office says unsettled conditions could disrupt travel and pose danger to life in parts of Northern Ireland and southern EnglandHeavy rain and strong winds could disrupt travel and pose a risk to life in the run-up to the Easter weekend, forecasters have said.The Met Office issued yellow warnings across parts of Northern Ireland and the south of England. Continue reading...

High court judge to rule on level of compensation awarded to woman sexually abused by pop starOne of Gary Glitter's victims is seeking about half a million pounds from the disgraced musician in damages, the high court has heard.The woman is suing Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, after his 2015 conviction for abusing her and two other young people between 1975 and 1980. Continue reading...

Attacks around Rafah come despite growing pressure for ceasefire. This live blog is closed