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Ex-post office operator recognised for exposing Horizon IT scandal, while Tracey Emin becomes a dame and Gordon Brown a companion of honourThe Post Office campaigner Alan Bates has been knighted in the king's birthday honours in recognition of his role in exposing the Horizon IT scandal, one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.The former post office operator and founder of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance said he was accepting the honour on behalf of the group" of branch operators and the horrendous things that had happened to them." Continue reading...

Zionist group claims antisemitism as McGill students advertise revolutionary' summer program at protest campA pro-Palestinian student encampment at a prominent Canadian university has announced a revolutionary youth summer program" with posts featuring photos of masked, armed guerrillas reading communist literature, drawing criticism from a Canadian Zionist organization decrying what it said was metastasizing antisemitism.The student group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill called for students to sign up for revolutionary" trainings to be held on the university campus this month. Since April SPHR McGill has been occupying part of the Montreal campus to protest against Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he intends to continue in parliament for next five years regardless of overall result on 4 JulyRishi Sunak has committed to staying on as an MP for the full five-year term if the Conservative party loses the general election.Speaking to journalists in Puglia, Italy, where he is attending the G7 summit, the prime minister said he intended to serve a full parliamentary term regardless of the overall result on 4 July. Continue reading...

UK prime minister says he sees eye-to-eye' with his Italian counterpart on the issue of migrationRishi Sunak has praised his fantastic" Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, as he announced the launch of a G7 coalition to tackle people-smuggling.The prime minister, who is in Puglia in Italy for the G7 summit, said he and Meloni saw eye-to-eye" on the issue and had spearheaded efforts to tackle it since they were elected. Continue reading...

State department says Nordic Resistance Movement, known by Swedish acronym NMR, is threat to AmericansThe United States on Friday designated a Scandinavian neo-Nazi group and three of its leaders as terrorists, saying the Nordic Resistance Movement poses a threat to Americans.NMR, known by its Swedish acronym, is the largest neo-Nazi group in Sweden and has branches in Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland, where it has been banned since 2020. Continue reading...

BBC presenter will sit down with Labour leader after interview with PM aired earlier this week

Final communique omits references to protection of gender identity and sexual orientation, and to safe abortion accessItaly's far-right government has denied that it removed references to abortion and LGBTQ rights in the final declaration of the G7 summit in Puglia.In the declaration, published late on Friday, a reference to the protection of the gender identity and sexual orientation" of the LGBTQ community did not appear, although reference had been included in the final declaration of the G7 in Japan last year. Continue reading...

Sources say contenders jostling for support amid fears of historic wipeout in election UK general election live - latest updatesConservative leadership hopefuls are already lobbying for support to take over from Rishi Sunak amid widespread fears the party is heading for a disastrous defeat on 4 July, the Guardian has learned.With three weeks to go before the general election, candidates and advisers had begun lining up behind their preferred contenders, sources said, with some Tory campaigners complaining they were being inundated with messages from potential leaders. Continue reading...

US says Tsav 9 activists have blockaded key crossing, set trucks on fire and injured drivers as hunger spreads inside Gaza

Douglas Ross was investigated over allegations he filed for travel to third job as part-time match officialExpenses claims by Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, were within the rules and no further action is required, the parliamentary standards watchdog has said.The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) investigated Ross over allegations that he may have claimed expenses to facilitate travel to his third job as a part-time match official for the Scottish Football Association. Continue reading...

Polls still predict clear Labour win with the main unknown being how sweeping Conservative losses will be

Exclusive: Greencore recalls items sold via Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and others, as does separate firm that supplies TescoThe sandwich maker Greencore, which supplies big supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, is one of a number of companies recalling products after being potentially linked to an outbreak of E coli that has caused cases in the UK to almost double to more than 200.The company is recalling thousands of sandwiches, wraps and salads sold through those three supermarkets as well as Boots, Aldi, Amazon and the Co-op. The 45 products contain a certain variety of salad leaf linked to the outbreak identified this month by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Continue reading...

Doctors and nurses who damaged windows pleaded not guilty because of bank's leading role' in funding fossil fuelsA jury has been unable to reach a verdict in the trial of four doctors and two nurses who caused almost 200,000 of damage to the windows of the investment bank JP Morgan in a climate crisis protest.The doctors, Juliette Brown, David McKelvey, Alice Clack and Patrick Hart, and nurses, Maggie Fay and Ali Rowe, had not disputed using hammers and chisels to smash the windows of the foyer of the London offices of JP Morgan. Continue reading...

Suppliers are recalling various sandwiches, wraps and salads in response to an E coli investigation Supermarket sandwich supplier issues recall amid UK E coli outbreakThe Food Standards Agency has said several suppliers to major retailers are taking the precautionary measure of recalling various sandwiches, wraps and salads in response to findings from investigations into an ongoing E coli outbreak.Greencore, which supplies supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, is recalling 45 products, while Samworth Brothers Manton Wood, which supplies Tesco and One Stop, is recalling 15. Continue reading...

CAC 40 index has its worst week since March 2022 after Macron's decision to call snap electionsFrance's stock market is heading for its biggest weekly fall in more than two years, amid fears that the country's far-right party could win the upcoming parliamentary elections.French bonds were also hammered this week, as analysts warned of the risk of a Liz Truss-style market panic following Emmanuel Macron's shock decision last Sunday to call snap national assembly elections. Continue reading...

Mason Reynolds, 19, had detailed diagrams of building and said he wanted to make Jews afraid again'A teenager with neo-Nazi views who made plans to carry out a suicide bombing at a synagogue because he wanted to make Jews afraid again" has been jailed for eight years.Mason Reynolds had carried out a very significant amount of planning" for a terrorist attack at the synagogue in Hove, East Sussex, the sentencing judge said. Continue reading...

Osama Hamdan's comments signal group's position on ceasefire proposal remains largely unchanged

Liberal party now has candidates preselected for seats that no longer exist while Labor dealt a blow in the seat of Bennelong

PC Perry Lathwood fined for assaulting Jocelyn Agyemang after wrongly suspecting her of fare evasionA woman assaulted by a Metropolitan police officer said he treated her with contempt" and that the attack had devastated" her son, who witnessed the incident.The victim impact statement of Jocelyn Agyemang was read out in court as PC Perry Lathwood was ordered to pay a total of 2,950 following his conviction for assault last month. Continue reading...

Speaking to CNN, Hamas spokesperson says any deal to release the hostages would need to include a permanent ceasefire

Country's second-largest party agrees to support re-election of Cyril Ramaphosa as presidentSouth Africa's African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance have agreed to form a coalition in which the former liberation movement and the pro-business party will set aside their rivalry in an historic governance pact.President Cyril Ramaphosa's centrist preferences ultimately won out over more leftwing factions of the ANC that wanted to strike a deal with breakaway parties that back nationalisation and seizing land from white farmers. The deal was struck amid criticisms that the DA favours the interests of South Africa's white minority, something it denies. Continue reading...

At the Tribeca premiere of Wise Guy, a documentary about the legendary show, cast and crew laughed and reminiscedDavid Chase selected Journey's Don't Stop Believin' to soundtrack the final moments of The Sopranos in part because he liked the lyric about how the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on". (His decision was sealed when he floated the idea to his writers' room and everyone reacted in uniform revulsion.)Depressed kingpin Tony's attempts to self-improve, compromised wife Carmela's delicate program of rationalization, the capitalistic churning of America - it all continues ad infinitum, and last night at the Tribeca film festival's premiere of the documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, it was clear that the saga of New Jersey's top waste management consultants" wasn't over, either. Continue reading...

More than 100 comics from around the world including Jimmy Fallon and Chris Rock visited the pontiff on FridayPope Francis said that laughing at God is not blasphemy" as he met more than 100 comedians from around the world at the Vatican on Friday, encouraging them to use their powerful gift of humour to spread laughter in the midst of so much gloomy news".The pontiff, himself prone to the odd quip, invited comedians including Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Stephen Merchant to the audience at the Apostolic Palace as part of his attempt to engage with contemporary culture. Continue reading...

Sir Nicholas Hytner, Nancy Medina and Theresa Heskins stress importance of sidelined drama, dance and music studies and say the arts are a necessity for all'Addressing the erosion and devaluation of the arts in state schools must be a priority for the next government, leading theatre figures in England have urged.Sir Nicholas Hytner, who ran the National Theatre in London for 12 years, said that state schools have been robbed" and that restoring arts education was a matter of urgency to ensure that there is not just a new generation of artists but a new generation of audiences". Nancy Medina, the artistic director of Bristol Old Vic, said the arts should be a necessity for all pupils" and not just the preserve" of independent schools. Theresa Heskins, artistic director of Staffordshire's New Vic, suggested that the next government commit to providing every schoolchild a theatre trip. Continue reading...

Coogan, production company Baby Cow and Pathe, the distributors of the 2022 film, will now face a full trialThe portrayal of a former university official in Steve Coogan's film about the discovery of the remains of Richard III is defamatory, a high court judge has ruled.Richard Taylor, a former deputy registrar at the University of Leicester, is suing Coogan, the production company Baby Cow, and the distributors Pathe. Continue reading...

Labour has asked what role Craig Williams played in election date discussions and when party knew about bet

Cameras expected to be trained on three Household Cavalry steeds that galloped through London in AprilThe bearskins, marching bands and palace balcony appearances that ensure trooping the colour is an annual crowd-puller will face competition when this year's military spectacle takes place on Saturday.King Charles and Queen Camilla will be there, though in a small concession to his cancer treatment, Charles will review the King's Birthday Parade from an Ascot landau carriage rather than on horseback. Continue reading...

BoM says south-east can expect cold days and frosty nights with below-average temperatures continuing into the coming week

ACT police say man allegedly graffitied the outside of building and the ground with pro-Palestine slogans'

Emergency services conduct at least 40 rescues and schools, courts and railways closed in some countiesSignificant amounts of rain in the past two days have led the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, to declare a state of emergency for the counties of Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota, while the mayors of Miami-Dade, Miami and Fort Lauderdale also declared a state of emergency.This has resulted in a number of closures for public schools, courts and Dania Beach's city hall, where there were at least 40 rescues by emergency services. Rail routes across Miami and the surrounding area were also suspended. The flooding occurred after more than 380mm (15in) of rain fell on several southern Florida cities in just two days. Continue reading...

Company has been under pressure, issuing several profit warnings amid slump in property market

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Sophia Huang Xueqin, who reported on #MeToo movement and Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, sentenced along with labour activist Wang JianbingA Chinese court has sentenced the prominent #MeToo journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin to five years in jail and the labour activist Wang Jianbing to three and a half years, almost 1,000 days after they were detained on allegations of inciting state subversion, according to supporters.On Friday, supporters of the pair said the court had found them guilty and given Huang the maximum sentence. The jail terms would take into account the time they had already spent in detention. A copy of the verdict said Huang was also deprived of political rights for four years and fined $100,000 RMB (10,800). Wang faced three years of deprivation of political rights and was fined $50,000 RMB. Continue reading...

Catholic priest Anthony Bongiorno and Peter Keogh, both dead, previously named as persons of interest

Politicians, activists and charities say online harassment is particularly bad, including hate speech and disinformationAbuse of female election candidates is becoming worse, say candidates, activists and charities.One female Labour candidate in the north of England said the harassment continues apace" in the build-up to the election, with online harassment being a particular problem. Continue reading...

Bereaved from scandals including tower block fire, infected blood and Covid-19 gather calling for guarantee that recommendations don't gather dustFamilies bereaved by the Grenfell Tower fire, the infected blood scandal and Covid-19 have called on the next prime minister to guarantee that potentially life-saving ideas that emerge from public inquiries and emergency planning exercises are acted upon.They want a new mechanism to increase public confidence that reports that cost hundreds of millions of pounds to produce won't gather dust and will instead be followed up. They will issue their joint demand together beneath the ruin of Grenfell Tower after joining hundreds of members of the west London community in a silent march on Friday evening to mark the seventh anniversary of the blaze that killed 72 people, including 18 children.Fifty-eight people and 19 companies and organisations suspected by police of crimes related to Grenfell brace for the publication of the final public inquiry report into the disaster on 4 September.The Fire Brigades Union warned Keir Starmer that a Labour government must end the deregulation of building standards, which was a key cause of the Grenfell disaster, to ensure 1.5m new homes it has pledged over the next parliament are safe.The London Eye will be illuminated in green lights on Friday night in commemoration.Representatives for thousands of high-rise leaseholders said the pace of making existing homes affected by Grenfell-style fire defects remains shockingly slow - and at this rate, it could take decades".Architects and landscape designers have started putting together competing pitches for a permanent memorial on the site of the west London tower block that is expected to be partially or completely demolished. Continue reading...

The election dynamic has changed and Nigel Farage's party does not need to win seats to damage ConservativesWe have just passed the halfway mark of the election campaign. The candidates have been nominated, polling cards are arriving and the first postal votes are about to be cast. With more than 4,500 candidates standing and no seat having fewer than five candidates, voters will have more choice than ever - so how will they use it?There are a record number of independent candidates, at 459, more than double the number in 2019. Although independents have been doing well in local elections throughout this parliament, their impact at a general election is usually more limited. Continue reading...

Civilian aircraft have been cleared from Pyongyang's airport and there are signs of preparations for a possible parade in Kim Il-sung SquareThe US and South Korea have warned Vladimir Putin against forging closer military ties with North Korea, as speculation grows that the Russian leader will visit the secretive state in the coming days.Putin is planning to meet the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in a reciprocal visit following Kim's weeklong trip to Russia last September, media reports said. During that trip, the two leaders are believed to have agreed that North Korea would receive Russian help with its space programme in return for providing Russia with armaments for the war in Ukraine, in violation of UN resolutions. Continue reading...

New South Wales draft boundaries would also affect the seats of Bennelong and Bradfield, held by Labor and Liberals respectively

Irish director says Garret FitzGerald said he was expecting payment from Warner Bros for endorsing Michael Collins biopic - which son refutesWhen the Irish film director and screenwriter Neil Jordan's biopic of Michael Collins was released in 1996, it unleashed criticism from historians and politicians who contested its depiction of the rebel leader and Ireland's war of independence.Some disputed Liam Neeson's portrayal of the doomed, charismatic guerrilla chief and his romance with a character played by Julia Roberts. Others cited inaccuracies in the film's depiction of the 1919-21 conflict with Britain and ensuing Irish civil war. Continue reading...

Investigators found 52,000 images and 7,500 videos on teenager's phone, which will require a terrorism evidence notice to access

There's nothing better than sitting on Wayne Pearce Hill,' prime minister says of stadium that has remained a fan favourite

Manila has previously described new regulations, which allow Chinese coast guard to detain foreigners, as an escalation of the situation'The Philippines has stepped up patrols in the disputed South China Sea ahead of the rollout of a new Chinese regulation that empowers its coast guard to detain foreigners accused of trespassing.The regulation, which is effective from Saturday, marks a further escalation in tensions in the fiercely contested waterway, which is one of the world's most economically important and busiest trading routes Continue reading...

Record high of 4.1 million people found to be in precarious employment such as zero-hours contracts and casual workThe UK has seen an explosion" in insecure, low-paid work in the past 14 years, according to a new report.The TUC said its study had found that the number of people in insecure work had reached a record high of 4.1 million. Continue reading...

Party representatives asked how they would fix a health service that is on its knees'

Legal actions seek payouts for asylum seekers locked up for weeks without immediate plan for deportationThe next government could have to make costly payouts to dozens of asylum seekers detained for deportation to Rwanda, even if the Rwanda deal falls apart after the general election.Legal actions are being lodged by asylum seekers who say the Home Office locked them up unlawfully before the threatened first flight to the east African country. Home Office sources indicated they did not accept these claims. Continue reading...

Relatives of motorcyclist killed in 2019 are looking forward to working with next government' on public inquiryThe parents of Harry Dunn, a teenage motorcyclist killed in a road collision, accused the US of obstructing" their son's inquest, as they said they were looking forward to working with the next Westminster government to establish a public inquiry.No representative of the US embassy nor the driver responsible, the American Anne Sacoolas, attended the four-day inquest, which concluded on Thursday. The absences prompted the Dunn family's spokesperson, Radd Seiger, to say Washington's position was that lives of UK citizens like Harry ultimately do not matter". Continue reading...

President hails breakthrough as US and Ukraine also announce 10-year bilateral security agreementJoe Biden claimed democracies can deliver" as he announced the leaders of the G7 western economies had finally reached an agreement that will mobilise an extra $50bn (39bn) of aid to Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets.Speaking at the G7 summit in Puglia, Italy, on Thursday, Biden hailed the breakthrough as he met Ukraine's president Volodymr Zelenskiy and announced the two countries had also signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, ending 12 months of difficult negotiations. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the G7 summit, read more of our coverage here.Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni has just arrived at the venue.This is the scene at the Borgo Egnazia resort as G7 leaders are scheduled to begin arriving. Continue reading...