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EU approves €90bn loan for Ukraine and fresh Russia sanctions – Europe live
The Guardian

EU approves €90bn loan for Ukraine and fresh Russia sanctions – Europe live

Move comes after Hungary and Slovakia dropped opposition following reopening of the Druzhba oil pipelineMeanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Kyiv will seek to receive the first tranche of the €90bn European Union loan by the end of May, or early June.“This is strengthening of our army,” he told reporters in a WhatsApp chat, reported by Reuters. Continue reading...

Philippines’ ex-president Rodrigo Duterte to face trial for crimes against humanity
The Guardian

Philippines’ ex-president Rodrigo Duterte to face trial for crimes against humanity

ICC judges say there are substantial grounds to believe Duterte guided anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousandsThe former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will face trial at the international criminal court (ICC) after judges unanimously confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”.Pre-trial judges concluded on Thursday that there were substantial grounds to...

Starmer brushes off reports that cabinet ministers don’t support him over sacking of Olly Robbins – UK politics live
The Guardian

Starmer brushes off reports that cabinet ministers don’t support him over sacking of Olly Robbins – UK politics live

The prime minister said that cabinet is still united and focused on delivering the government’s policy agendaLittle says in March she had a meeting when she asked to see the Foreign Office’s documentation about the decision to grant Mandelson vetting. She said she was asking because this was documentation covered by the humble address. She said was told that “that information would not be forthcom...

Plan for healthier school meals in England will hit services, say caterers
The Guardian

Plan for healthier school meals in England will hit services, say caterers

Trade body warns that changes are likely to drive up costs and push pupils to find somewhere to buy junk food Business live – latest updatesA government push to get schoolchildren eating more lentils, pulses and beans at lunch could have a “devastating effect”, making catering services unviable, school meal providers have warned.Proposals for healthier meals in English schools, which would limit t...

Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in ‘alarming’ bills

Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in ‘alarming’ bills

The Guardian

Climate experts and advocates warn House and Senate bills will protect polluters at the cost of the climate Republican lawmakers are attempting to shield big oil from having to pay for its contributions to the climate crisis, alarming environmental advocates.New House and Senate bills, led by Harriet Hageman, a Wyoming representative, and Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, respectively, would give oil and...

Chinese hackers are using everyday devices to hack UK firms, warns watchdog

Chinese hackers are using everyday devices to hack UK firms, warns watchdog

The Guardian

Britain’s cybersecurity agency says companies must step up vigilance to prevent espionage attacksBusiness live – latest updatesBritish businesses are being urged to step up their vigilance against a China-linked hacking ploy that uses everyday devices for espionage.The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and agencies in nine other countries have warned of persistent attempts by Beijing-back...

First Thing: ‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says

First Thing: ‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says

The Guardian

Iran seizes two ships in critical waterway as Washington and Tehran maintain separate blockades. Plus, Jodi Kantor on how to find a career you loveGood morning.Iranian forces have seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.What has Donald Trump said? The US president announced that the US would extend the ceasefi...

Former boss at Lucy Letby’s hospital arrested on suspicion of perverting course of justice

Former boss at Lucy Letby’s hospital arrested on suspicion of perverting course of justice

The Guardian

Suspect is one of three ex-senior leaders also arrested last year on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughterA former boss at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.Police arrested the suspect on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter by ex-senior leaders at the Countess of Chester h...

Over-75s drive levels of physical activity in England to record high but inequalities remain

Over-75s drive levels of physical activity in England to record high but inequalities remain

The Guardian

30m adults hitting 150 minutes moderate activity a weekBut report shows progress not being felt equallyLevels of physical activity in England have broken new records, with more than 30 million adults now meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, the latest Active Lives survey has revealed.The 10th edition of the gold standard report finds a striking rise in activity among ol...

Russell Brand says he had ‘exploitative’ consensual sex with girl, 16, at height of his fame

Russell Brand says he had ‘exploitative’ consensual sex with girl, 16, at height of his fame

The Guardian

Brand, who will be tried in October over allegations of rape and sexual assault, tells podcast he slept with 16-year-old when he was 30Russell Brand said he had “exploitative” consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl at the height of his fame.The comedian, actor and podcaster, 50, will be tried in the autumn over allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him by six women. Brand denies all ...

More than 150 violent offenders granted taxi licences in Midlands city last year

More than 150 violent offenders granted taxi licences in Midlands city last year

The Guardian

FoI data reveals that 438 people with criminal convictions were given licences in Wolverhampton, UK’s ‘taxi capital’More than 150 people convicted of violent crimes were granted taxi licences last year by Wolverhampton city council, dubbed the UK’s “taxi capital”, data has revealed.The Guardian obtained data via a freedom of information request that revealed 438 people with criminal convictions we...

Breast reductions in UK overtake enlargements for first time, data shows

Breast reductions in UK overtake enlargements for first time, data shows

The Guardian

Reduction procedures and implant removals reflect shift toward comfort and more active lifestyles, surgeons sayBreast reductions and implant removals have overtaken enlargements for the first time, data shows, as experts link the shift to more active lifestyles.The latest annual audit from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) shows there were 4,761 breast enlargement ...

RFK Jr agenda suffers another loss as trans advocates hail ‘huge step forward’

RFK Jr agenda suffers another loss as trans advocates hail ‘huge step forward’

The Guardian

Judge’s repeal of Trump ban on gender-affirming care for children ‘a meaningful win for patients’, experts sayA federal judge overturned the Trump administration’s ban on gender-affirming care for children on Saturday, decrying Robert F Kennedy Jr’s “wanton disregard” for the law that “causes very real harm to very real people”.It’s another loss for Kennedy’s agenda as secretary for the US Departm...

Senate Republicans bypass Democrats to advance $70bn ICE and border patrol plan in ‘vote-a-rama’– US politics live

Senate Republicans bypass Democrats to advance $70bn ICE and border patrol plan in ‘vote-a-rama’– US politics live

The Guardian

Republicans deploy measure known as budget reconciliation to push through plan without backing from Democrats during lengthy late-night voteHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Senate voted to adopt a $70bn budget plan to fund ICE and Border Patrol as part of a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end Repub...

Spanish conservatives revive regional pacts with far-right Vox party

Spanish conservatives revive regional pacts with far-right Vox party

The Guardian

Hard line on immigration adopted by People’s party as right seeks to overthrow socialist government in 2027Europe live – latest updatesSpain’s opposition conservatives are rekindling their regional pacts with the far-right Vox party by adopting the latter’s hard line on immigration less than two years after disagreements over the issue led to the collapse of coalition administrations in five of th...

Sainsbury’s boss urges government to help ease rising energy costs for food producers

Sainsbury’s boss urges government to help ease rising energy costs for food producers

The Guardian

Simon Roberts says support for bills on back of Iran war should include ‘food growing, manufacturing and retailing’The boss of Sainsbury’s has called on the government to help ease the rising cost of energy for farmers, food producers and retailers caused by the conflict in the Middle East to prevent further price rises.Simon Roberts, the chief executive of the UK’s second largest grocer, said: “T...

Bibby Stockholm asylum barge contractor admits overcharging UK government £118m

Bibby Stockholm asylum barge contractor admits overcharging UK government £118m

The Guardian

Australia’s Corporate Travel Management is ‘negotiating commercial arrangements’ to refund the moneyThe Australian company that ran the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge has admitted it overcharged the British government by £118m.Corporate Travel Management (CTM) said its auditor had found evidence of “erroneous billing” of its UK clients, increasing its estimate of how much it owes the government by £...

Democrats say cuts to social security have caused ‘customer service chaos’ for American seniors

Democrats say cuts to social security have caused ‘customer service chaos’ for American seniors

The Guardian

Report from Elizabeth Warren calls Trump administration cuts to Social Security Administration ‘catastrophic’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxCuts to the Social Security Administration have caused “customer service chaos” for millions of older Americans and those with disabilities who rely on the agency’s services, according to a new report from a group ...

Head-on train collision near Copenhagen leaves five critically injured

Head-on train collision near Copenhagen leaves five critically injured

The Guardian

At least 17 people hurt after incident involving two local services north of Denmark’s capitalTwo trains have collided head-on in Denmark, injuring at least 17 people, five of whom are in a critical condition.The crash happened on Thursday morning at a level crossing at Isterødvejen, north of Hillerød, a town about 19 miles (30km) north-west of Copenhagen. Emergency services received a report of t...

Dippy the injured axolotl rescued from Welsh river

Dippy the injured axolotl rescued from Welsh river

The Guardian

Family found creature under a bridge and are documenting its recovery in a fish tank on TikTokAn injured axolotl is on the road to recovery after being rescued from a river in Wales. “Dippy” was found under Dipping Bridge on the River Ogmore near Bridgend, south Wales, by a family who had stopped for a break while travelling on holiday last week.Evie Hill, 10, told the BBC she lifted up a discarde...

Olly Robbins refused to give Mandelson vetting summary to Cabinet Office, says Cat Little

Olly Robbins refused to give Mandelson vetting summary to Cabinet Office, says Cat Little

The Guardian

In evidence to MPs, Cabinet Office top civil servant disputes that her department suggested vetting might not be neededUK politics live – latest updatesOlly Robbins refused to hand Peter Mandelson’s vetting summary to the Cabinet Office, the civil servant who leads the department has said.The summary – which would have revealed that Robbins, the now-sacked Foreign Office head, had granted Mandelso...

Olly Robbins refused to hand Mandelson vetting summary to Cabinet Office, says Cat Little

Olly Robbins refused to hand Mandelson vetting summary to Cabinet Office, says Cat Little

The Guardian

In evidence to MPs, Cabinet Office’s top civil servant disputes claim her department suggested vetting might not be neededUK politics live – latest updatesOlly Robbins refused to hand Peter Mandelson’s vetting summary to the Cabinet Office, the civil servant who leads the department has said.The summary – which would have revealed that Robbins, the now-sacked Foreign Office head, had granted Mande...

Cabinet Office officials delayed telling Starmer about Mandelson vetting recommendation for almost three weeks – UK politics live

Cabinet Office officials delayed telling Starmer about Mandelson vetting recommendation for almost three weeks – UK politics live

The Guardian

Permanent secretary Cat Little tells MPs that she sought legal advice before sharing the vetting information with the prime ministerLittle says in March she had a meeting when she asked to see the Foreign Office’s documentation about the decision to grant Mandelson vetting. She said she was asking because this was documentation covered by the humble address. She said was told that “that informatio...

EU risks fallout with US over Trump-linked Balkans pipeline plan

EU risks fallout with US over Trump-linked Balkans pipeline plan

The Guardian

Exclusive: Brussels seeks to stall awarding of contract to firm fronted by US president’s lawyer in letter seen by GuardianThe EU risks a confrontation with Donald Trump after it sought to stall the awarding of a lucrative Balkans pipeline contract to a company fronted by his personal lawyer, documents seen by the Guardian show.Brussels has clashed with Trump over trade, Ukraine and military spend...

Robbins refused to give me access to Mandelson’s vetting report, says top Cabinet Office official – UK politics live

Robbins refused to give me access to Mandelson’s vetting report, says top Cabinet Office official – UK politics live

The Guardian

Permanent secretary Cat Little tells MPs that she sought the documents as they were covered by what should be released under the humble addressLittle says in March she had a meeting when she asked to see the Foreign Office’s documentation about the decision to grant Mandelson vetting. She said she was asking because this was documentation covered by the humble address. She said was told that “that...

Criminal gangs profiting as child sexual abuse websites double, experts say

Criminal gangs profiting as child sexual abuse websites double, experts say

The Guardian

Analyst who worked on Internet Watch Foundation report says content exists ‘across all social media platforms’ and is ‘very easy’ to findThe number of commercial child sexual abuse websites has doubled in a year as experts say that criminal gangs are making “huge profits” from online sexual exploitation.According to data collected by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), 15,031 commercial child sex...

‘This is not the country I moved to’: the British Indians showing support for Nigel Farage

‘This is not the country I moved to’: the British Indians showing support for Nigel Farage

The Guardian

Savitha Prakash, a first-generation immigrant running in local elections in Harrow, says Reform UK aims to ‘put Britain first’Savitha Prakash, an NHS doctor living in the London borough of Harrow, believes there are similarities between the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. “He’s [Modi] one of those people, like Nigel, he walks the talk. He made [a] differe...

Top official denies claim that Cabinet Office suggested Mandelson did not need security vetting – UK politics live

Top official denies claim that Cabinet Office suggested Mandelson did not need security vetting – UK politics live

The Guardian

Permanent secretary Cat Little tells MPs that the Foreign Office was advised to undertake vetting, contradicting evidence from Olly RobbinsThornberry said that, in his evidence, Robbins said he tried to get access to that file, but was told he could not see it without a national security reason.Little said she could not find an audit trail for that request. Continue reading...

Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Pentagon reportedly says clearing strait of Hormuz could take six months

Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Pentagon reportedly says clearing strait of Hormuz could take six months

The Guardian

Leaked assessment says clearing mines could take half a year; US navy secretary leaves office ‘immediately’‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran saysThe Pentagon abruptly announced that the secretary of the US navy, John Phelan, would be leaving his job yesterday. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the navy’s top civilian official, who ha...