World news | The Guardian

RMT to ballot more than 40,000 workers at Network Rail and train firms in dispute over jobs and payMore than 40,000 railway workers are to be balloted in a dispute over jobs and pay that a union says could result in Britain’s biggest rail strike in modern history.The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said staff would be asked to vote on strike action over Network Rail’s plans to cut at least 2,500 maintenance jobs as part of a £2bn reduction in spending on the network. Continue reading...

Berlin will give Ukraine funds to buy weapons as army has run out of hardware, says Annalena Baerbock

Musician was one of the first people of African descent to have visual and written record in BritainHe is the most famous Black person from the Tudor era, a court trumpeter who performed at important regal celebrations and was highly rewarded for his skill by Henry VIII.Now the story of John Blanke, one of the first people of African descent to have both a visual and written record in Britain, will be told at a major exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Continue reading...

John Robinson, whose wife, Pat, died from coronavirus in first wave, says PM should quit over rule-breaking

Analysis: Many believe it is only images that will ultimately prove whether Boris Johnson misled MPs over lockdown gatherings

The monarch will spend several days at Wood Farm, where Prince Philip spent retirementThe Queen will celebrate her 96th birthday in low-key fashion on her Norfolk estate, where she is expected to stay at the farmhouse where the Duke of Edinburgh spent much of his retirement.The monarch will fly from Windsor Castle to her Sandringham estate where she is likely to spend several days at Wood Farm, the home Prince Philip moved to after his retirement in August 2017. She visited him frequently until the Covid pandemic necessitated his moving to shield with her at Windsor Castle. Continue reading...

Court rules app for Muslims infringed trademark of Match Group, US company behind Tinder and OkCupidThe US dating giant behind Tinder and OkCupid has won a court battle with a British dating app for Muslims after accusing it of copying its product and services.Muzmatch, the world’s largest Muslim dating and marriage app, could lose the right to use its name following the legal battle with Match Group, which also owns Hinge and Match.com. Continue reading...

Sir Stephen House calls for change in sacking procedures at home affairs select committee appearanceThe acting head of the UK’s biggest police force has admitted that cultural problems in the force are “not a few bad apples” and called for a change in procedures to allow managers to speedily sack errant officers.Sir Stephen House, who has temporarily taken over as commissioner of the Metropolitan police, also disclosed that there had been a lack of supervision in the police unit where Sarah Everard’s murderer served. Continue reading...

Council elections will be contest between SNP’s national programme and Scottish Labour’s local recordClaire O’Byrne has been living at the sharp end of Scotland’s rural housing crisis. Owing to a chronic housing shortage on Arran, she had to declare herself homeless and leave the island, and for now gambles on its ailing ferry service for visits to the island with her five-year-old daughter, Alice.“Arran is an afterthought for everybody in terms of infrastructure and services,” she said. “It’s a nightmare. I have known so many people who have had to make a decision to move away.” Continue reading...

Scott Morrison accuses Anthony Albanese of siding with China as Labor leader wins support of 40% of undecided voter forum over PM’s 35%

Longtime collaborator Michael Feinstein has alleged that the manner of Minnelli’s appearance presenting best picture last month was largely against her wishesLiza Minnelli was “forced” to appear in a wheelchair against her will at last month’s Oscars, a longtime collaborator has claimed.Michael Feinstein, a singer and pianist and friend of Minnelli has said that her appearance at the end of the ceremony, in which she presented the best picture award alongside Lady Gaga, left her “very disappointed”. Continue reading...

Leaders lock horns on border protection and federal integrity commission as Anthony Albanese voted winner of ‘people’s forum’ debate on Sky News; Zed Seselja dismisses Barnaby Joyce comments on China-Solomon Islands pact after deputy prime minister breaks government ranks; at least 38 more people die of Covid around the country. This blog is now closed

Paul Bussetti from Croydon pleads guilty in retrial after not guilty verdict quashed by high courtA man has been sentenced to 10 weeks, suspended for two years, after admitting sending a “grossly offensive” viral video of a cardboard model of Grenfell Tower being burned on a bonfire.Paul Bussetti, 49, from Croydon, south London, pleaded guilty to one count when he appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Far-right challenger out to avoid repeat of 2017 ‘failure’ in two-and-a-half hour clash with incumbentEmmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will go head to head in a live TV debate on Wednesday night that could prove crucial in making up the minds of undecided voters four days before the French presidential runoff.The high-stakes, two-and-a-half-hour confrontation, the only direct clash between the two candidates, has been a tradition of French presidential campaigns since 1974, often confirming or dashing electoral ambitions. Continue reading...

Home secretary to decide whether WikiLeaks founder will be extradited to US on espionage chargesA court has formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US on espionage charges, in what will ultimately be a decision for the UK home secretary, Priti Patel.The Wikileaks co-founder, who has the right of appeal, appeared by videolink during the Westminster magistrates court hearing, which one of his barristers described as a “brief but significant moment in the case”. Continue reading...

CTS apologises for panic caused by broadcast of mocked-up captions it says it created for security drillsA Taiwanese news channel has broadcast by mistake a fictional news alert that said Chinese armed forces had launched an invasion, firing missiles at cities and ports surrounding the capital, Taipei.Several news captions declaring a violent attack by China’s People’s Liberation Army had been mocked up for forthcoming security drills, but were accidentally broadcast to Taiwanese viewers at 7am on Wednesday.Additional reporting by Chi Hui Lin and Xiaoqian Zhu Continue reading...

Pavlo Makov was reluctant to leave Kharkiv but after sleeping in a bomb shelter for a week, he decided he had to represent Ukraine

Plan to give competition watchdog more powers to tackle rip-offs and poor business practicesFake reviews are to be outlawed and consumers will have more chances to get out of subscriptions they do not want under a package of measures proposed by the UK government to stop people being ripped off online.Under the measures, it will be illegal for businesses to pay someone to write or host a fake review for a product or service, and sites hosting consumer verdicts will have to take reasonable steps to check they are genuine. Continue reading...

One in six patients have had no contact with healthcare professionals since before pandemic, finds Diabetes UKThousands of lives are being put at risk due to delays and disruption in diabetes care, according to a damning report that warns patients have been “pushed to the back of the queue” during the Covid-19 pandemic.There are 4.9 million people living with diabetes in the UK, and almost half had difficulties managing their condition last year, according to a survey of 10,000 patients by the charity Diabetes UK. Continue reading...

No one was injured when the balloon, which was making its maiden voyage, landed in suburban Elwood

Prime minister defends Canberra’s ‘calibrated’ approach to Honiara and tries to turn criticism back on Labor

Charity says it is committed to remaining apolitical and has launched an investigation into endorsement from its CEO

Parts to be staged in Stoke, Doncaster, Trowbridge and Sunderland in 2023 using local writers and amateur casts before finale in LondonA retelling of The Odyssey, Homer’s epic story of endurance and hope, is to be the centrepiece of a landmark project next year by the National Theatre in partnership with local artists and communities.The production will be staged in episodes in Stoke-on-Trent, Doncaster, Trowbridge and Sunderland. Each of the four parts will be written by a local playwright, and performed by local people alongside professional actors. Continue reading...

Private hospital operators expect boom in self-pay to continue for at least next three to five yearsGrowing numbers of Britons are paying for private medical treatment because of the record delays people are facing trying to access NHS care, a report has revealed.They are using their own savings to pay for procedures that involve some of the longest waiting times in NHS hospital, such as diagnostic tests, cataract removals and joint replacements. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogThe US is reportedly seeking to seize a superyacht suspected of belonging to a Russian oligarch that is docked in the Pacific island nation of Fiji.A restraining order filed on Tuesday by Fiji’s director of public prosecutions and seen by Reuters showed the vessel arrived in Fiji a week ago after leaving Mexico 18 days earlier and crossing the Pacific. Continue reading...

Covid restrictions to ease further in both states from Friday, with Victoria confident it has reached peak of Omicron wave

Penny Wong accuses Coalition of mishandling situation, raising concerns of a potential Chinese military presence in South Pacific

AEU president backed funding announcement but criticised lack of timeline, while noting Coalition had offered ‘nothing at all’

Shadow defence minister Brendan O’Connor says cancellation of $1.3bn SkyGuardian program demands explanation

Moscow is luring mercenaries from Syria, Libya and elsewhere in effort to capture as much as possible of eastern UkraineRussia has deployed up to 20,000 mercenaries from Syria, Libya and elsewhere in its new offensive in Ukraine’s Donbas region, sent into battle with no heavy equipment or armoured vehicles, according to a European official.The official said the estimates of mercenary involvement on the ground in eastern Ukraine range from 10,000 to 20,000 and that it was hard to break down that figure between Syrians, Libyans and other fighters recruited by the Russian mercenary company, the Wagner Group. Continue reading...

Former UN officials say body could be doomed if secretary general does not play a bigger role in mediating for peace in Ukraine

Labour leader accuses prime minister of dishonesty, as senior Tory joins those urging him to quit

Prime minister addresses MPs ‘with all humility’ repeating apology for breach of lockdown rules

Party believes being visible and knocking on doors is helping it win votes from ‘complacent’ rivalsStanding on the doorstep of his terrace house in Brunshaw, a few minutes’ walk from Burnley football club’s stadium, Turf Moor, Vic is perhaps not many people’s idea of a typical Green voter. For one thing, he was formerly a Conservative. There’s also the fact he’s 85.“They’re working hard all the time. It’s not just at elections you hear from them,” Vic says, having just promised his support to Alex Hall, who hopes to become the Greens’ second councillor in the ward on 5 May. “The other parties take you for granted.” Continue reading...

Auctioneer says destruction of red Gibson guitar at 2009 Paris festival was ‘cult moment’ in music historyA guitar belonging to Noel Gallagher, which was damaged backstage at an Oasis concert on the night they broke up, is due to be sold at auction next month.Although the guitar was later repaired, the destruction of the red Gibson ES-355 backstage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009 was a “cult moment” in music history, according to Jonathan Berg, a co-founder of the Artpèges gallery, which is holding the auction. Continue reading...

Centrist’s backers say voters still need convincing his policies are best for them ahead of presidential runoffSenior political allies of Emmanuel Macron have lined up to warn against complacency in France’s presidential race, saying the incumbent is not certain to win despite polls indicating his lead over his far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen, is widening.“The game isn’t done and dusted and we certainly cannot draw the conclusion … that this election is already decided,” the French prime minister, Jean Castex, told French radio, five days before Sunday’s second round runoff. Continue reading...

Platinum jubilee invitation said to have been issued to Harry and Meghan after low-key visitAfter last week’s face-to-face meeting with the Queen, and hot foot from their weekend success at the Invictus Games, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have now reportedly been invited to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the platinum jubilee.Whether Harry and Meghan will choose to take up the invitation and fly to the UK for the June celebrations is not yet known. The duke is still involved in legal action with the Home Office over security for him and his family while in the UK. Continue reading...

Governor of Kreminna says Ukrainian troops have withdrawn after being attacked ‘from all sides’

Brandon Lewis defends colleagues as Boris Johnson prepares to face MPs

Volodymyr Zelenskiy says ‘battle for Donbas’ has begun as Russia mounts anticipated offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine

Testimony of ex-SAS commander, called by Roberts-Smith, contradicts previous witnesses called by newspapers about Whiskey 108 operation

Volodymyr Zelenskiy strikes defiant note as rocket and artillery fire targets 300-mile frontline in region

Officers in Donetsk say spies pass on coordinates or photographs of targets via Telegram in exchange for cash

The Tories made huge gains in last year’s local elections but could be punished for scandals and the cost of living crisisOver the past two months, the Labour candidate, Adrian Hughes, has knocked on more than 1,000 doors in Upper Gornal and Woodsetton in north Dudley before May’s local elections.The most marginal ward in a historically marginal council, it was won by the Conservatives last year by 82 votes when there were five candidates on the ballot paper. This year there are only two options: red or blue. Continue reading...

Writer of The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe forced to defend characters’ accents after social media criticismIt has had rave reviews for the quality of its writing and acting but for many local people there has been a problem with ITV’s “canoe man” fake death drama: the accents.“Why is it that ITV thinks people from Teesside speak with a geordie accent?” asked one disgruntled viewer. “Insulting!!!!” Continue reading...

Government seeks to capitalise on trend after rapper Milli eats dish on stage at US music festivalBangkok’s famous Mae Varee mango sticky rice shop has barely kept up with demand over recent days. At one point, so many delivery drivers had lined up outside to collect orders that the police arrived, concerned that their bikes were blocking the traffic.“Yesterday we needed to close the delivery orders from time to time because we couldn’t prepare [the rice] in time,” said Naparom Suntiparadorn, whose family own the shop. On Sunday, delivery orders were six or seven times higher than usual. Continue reading...

Two explosions rock boys' school in Kabul as students were coming out of their morning classesAt least six people have been killed and 11 wounded by two bomb blasts at a boys’ school in the Afghan capital, with social media showing grisly images from the Hazara Shia neighbourhood.The number of bomb blasts in the country has declined significantly since the Taliban ousted the US-backed Afghan government in August last year, but the jihadist Islamic State group has claimed several attacks since then. Continue reading...

Record number of Australians enrol to vote; nation records 18 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed