Musician says he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his music career Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja has been arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after attending a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London on Saturday. Del Naja, also known as 3D, was among hundreds of fellow demonstrators in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon, holding a sign that read “I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action”. Continue reading...

US senator appears at Manhattan rally alongside New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, who cautioned that AI is ‘coming for human jobs’ Bernie Sanders has sounded an alarm over the US economy, warning “the worst is yet to come” unless workers overcome a “ruling class” of billionaires. The US senator spoke at a rally in Manhattan on Sunday alongside Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, who cautioned that artificial intelligence was “coming for human jobs” amid mounting concern over the technology’s rapid development. Continue reading...

Democratic congressman, running to replace Gavin Newsom, has faced multiple accusations Representative Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner in the fiercely contested race to be governor of California, has suspended his campaign amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women. The woman who worked for Swalwell said the California congressman had sexually assaulted her twice when she was too inebriated to consent, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, which was published on Friday. Continue reading...

Northern Irishman vows not to rest on laurels after his sixth major win Player ‘not as emotional’ as last year but revels in ‘amazing’ win Rory McIlroy has warned the rest of elite golf he will set further, lofty goals in his sport after a successful defence of the Masters. McIlroy prevailed at Augusta National by a shot over Scottie Scheffler, meaning the Northern Irishman becomes just the fourth golfer in history to win the tournament back-to-back. While McIlroy will cherish his win, he has no plans to rest on his laurels. Continue reading...

2025 winner joins Nicklaus, Faldo and Woods in retaining title He triumphs on 12 under by one shot from Scottie Scheffler You are left wondering how on earth Augusta National managed to inflict such psychological torture on Rory McIlroy for all those years. Or maybe that is precisely the point, that ­McIlroy’s ending of his Masters hoodoo in 2025 placed him into a fresh head space where failure is not an option. It turns out Green Jackets are like London buses. Back in Augusta, where he became only the sixth man in history to complete a career grand slam, McIlroy entered the record books once more. He is now the fourth golfer to successfully defend the Masters, after Jack ­Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. As a six-time major winner, he has surpassed Seve Ballesteros. What next, Rory? He could walk on Rae’s Creek. McIlroy’s latest Masters triumph arrived with the 36-year-old considerably short of his best for much of the tournament. That only emphasises his excellence. Continue reading...

Ministers admit carer’s allowance penalties will continue while review of more than 200,000 cases is carried out Thousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, it has emerged, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandal. Ministers will on Monday launch an audit of more than 200,000 historical carer’s allowance benefit cases, with an estimated 25,000 carers issued with unlawful overpayments since 2015 likely to see their repayment debts cancelled or reduced as a result. Continue reading...

Ukraine records more than 2,000 violations, Russia claims 1,900. Zelenskyy congratulates Hungary’s Peter Magyar. What we know on day 1,510 A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter formally expired on Monday, with both sides having accused each other of thousands of violations, despite a lull in Russian air raids. The truce lasted 32 hours, from 4pm (1300 GMT) on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday. Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire, which Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered on Thursday and which Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed more than a week earlier. But as with a similar agreement last year, only relative calm reigned along the 1,200km (745-mile) frontline. The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Sunday it had recorded 2,299 ceasefire violations by 7am, including assaults, shelling and small drone launches. It said in the statement that the use of long-range drones, missiles or guided bombs had not been reported. A Ukrainian military officer told the Associated Press on Saturday that Russian forces had continued to attack their positions. Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday it had recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces, including drone strikes. The head of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said rescuers uncovered the bodies of two civilians who were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Saturday afternoon. Zelenskyy congratulated Hungary’s Peter Magyar on his “resounding victory” in parliamentary elections on Sunday, pledging to work with the country’s new leadership “for the benefit of both nations”. “Congratulations to [Peter Magyar] and the TISZA party on their resounding victory … We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security, and stability in Europe,” the Ukrainian president said on X. The EU will be waiting to see how Magyar changes Hungary’s approach to Ukraine. Orbán repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support the neighbouring country in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to Putin and refusing to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy imports. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that Russian troops still needed to take control of 17-18% of Ukraine’s disputed Donetsk region, state news agency Tass reported. Russian forces would continue fighting in Ukraine after the Orthodox Easter truce ended, he said. Pjotr Sauer travelled to Bucha to report on the Ukrainians drawn in online by Russian intelligence services, promised money or coerced into carrying out sabotage attacks against their own country. Continue reading...

Midfielder expected to earn £120,000 a week New deal marks turnaround for Mainoo under Carrick Michael Carrick has indicated Kobbie Mainoo is moving closer to signing a new contract with Manchester United, saying negotiations are “in a good place”. The 20-year-old, whose deal expires in the summer of 2027, is expected to earn about £120,000 a week, a marked increase on his current terms, which are in the region of £25,000 a week. “It’s getting closer, so we’re positive about that,” said Carrick. “We’re calm with it, but we’re positive with it and time will tell how it goes. But at the moment, we are in a good place.” Continue reading...

Campaigners welcome first update of school food standards in 13 years, which aims to help lower obesity rates The government is to announce an overhaul to school food standards in England that will lead to calorific classics such as fish and chips and steamed sponges being banned. The new rules of the first major update to school food standards in 13 years will apply from September. They are part of efforts to lower the rates of childhood obesity, with data for 2024 released by the NHS in January showing that 24% of nursery and primary school children were overweight or living with obesity. Continue reading...

The two comedians tour the world in search of overpriced attractions, dodgy food – and trips you really wouldn’t want to go on The last thing the world needs is another celebrity travelogue. You have to assume that the genre that gave us Coastal Railways with Julie Walters and Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip is commissioned by drawing names and places out of two tombola drums. The celebrity travelogue is smug. The celebrity travelogue is lazy. The celebrity travelogue insults our intelligence like little else. And so it is with a mixture of delight and horror that I announce that this one isn’t bad. Zero Stars is a rare exception to the form, mixing a novel premise with bearable hosts. Continue reading...

As ordinary people express their feelings for loved ones by singing in public, not even Alison Hammond can make sense of it all. It begs the question: what exactly is this cack? It’s a rainy afternoon in Liverpool and Alison Hammond is describing her latest TV series while standing outside a branch of NatWest. “We’re inviting extraordinary people to sing the one song that means the most to them and tells their incredible story,” she shouts, blinking at us through her transparent umbrella. “Travelling across Britain, the Your Song stage will showcase amazing songs sung by remarkable people.” Is there a prize attached to this cavalcade? There is. Those deemed sufficiently extraordinary, incredible, amazing or remarkable by the judges Paloma Faith and “Eurovision legend Sam Ryder” will win the chance to perform at an abstract “once in a lifetime concert” to be held “London’s iconic Hackney Empire”. A montage of coming attractions does little to avert the mounting sense of unease: Paloma Faith weeping as she embraces a singer in a waterproof poncho; a man shouting “I’m 90 years old!” at the wrong camera; Hammond laughing into a succession of pensioners’ faces while swaddled in a cow-patterned coat. Here, clearly, is a show prepared to meet the very specific demands of the Sunday evening schedules. Sunday evening is, after all, sacrosanct. It is the land of Esther Rantzen and Harry Secombe: any singing show that nudges its slipper into such hallowed pastures must be prepared to turn up the thermostat and dial down the thinking accordingly. And Your Song does that – to a level that could reasonably be described as nightmarish. Continue reading...

Manchester City’s unbeaten April record in the past four years bodes well for their end-of-season pursuit for glory “I have a particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. I may stumble a little in the autumn. I may get a little caustic with a TV camera crew or sarcastically applaud a referee. But I will pursue you. I will hunt you down. I will, in all likelihood, narrowly pip you to the line in an agonising title chase.” Welcome to Pep in April, the franchise. In which a furiously intense, bald, skinny man becomes a serial springtime league title avenger. At the finish of what was by the end a celebratory, one-hand-on-the-wheel 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, Manchester City’s record in April in the past four years reads: played 23, won 19, drawn four across all competitions. Continue reading...

Péter Magyar’s Tisza party wins election as prime minister concedes defeat, in result likely to reshape ties with EU Hungary election live Hungary’s opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has won the election, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, in a result that is likely to rattle the White House and reshape the country’s relationship with the EU. Less than three hours after polls closed on Sunday, Orbán conceded defeat after what he described as a “painful but unambiguous” election result. Continue reading...

West End spectacular about Michael Bond’s beloved bear wins seven prizes, while Rachel Zegler, Rosamund Pike, Paapa Essiedu and James Graham are all recognised It was a night of sweet victory for Michael Bond’s marmalade-loving bear as Paddington: The Musical dominated the Olivier awards on Sunday. Amid the tuxes and gowns of a glittering ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the duffle coat-wearing bear got his sticky paws all over seven prizes including best new musical. The award for best actor in a musical went to the duo who play Paddington: James Hameed provides the lovable hero’s voice and is the remote puppeteer while Arti Shah performs in the furry costume. The show’s baddies, Tom Edden (as the busybody Mr Curry) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (as Millicent Clyde, who wants Paddington to literally get stuffed), won best supporting actor and best supporting actress in a musical respectively. Luke Sheppard was named best director for the production, which also picked up awards for costume design (Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar) and set design (Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward). Continue reading...

Victim in her 20s was attacked after leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub between 2am and 4am on Saturday A woman was raped by several men outside a church after leaving a nightclub in Surrey, police said. The woman in her 20s reported she was attacked after being followed leaving Labyrinth Epsom between 2am and 4am on Saturday. Continue reading...

1-0 defeat at Sunderland leaves Tottenham in bottom three ‘Win a game, everything will be different,’ De Zerbi says Roberto De Zerbi diagnosed a lack of confidence as the root cause of Tottenham’s ills after his first match as manager ended in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland. The result leaves Spurs in the relegation zone, two points adrift of 17th with six games remaining. “We didn’t deserve to lose,” said De Zerbi after a match decided by Nordi Mukiele’s deflected second-half winner. “We played a good game, but maybe not good enough to win. Continue reading...

After a season dominated by long throws, set-piece wrestling and rigid, overly controlled football, all of a sudden the overwhelming artistry and firepower at Manchester City’s disposal is threatening to take over when it matters most. This game was taken away from Chelsea during a blistering spell of attacking at the start of the second half and, by the end, it was impossible not to feel the same applied to the title race. Strike up the Jaws music – Pep Guardiola’s sharks are circling. There was blood in the water after Arsenal’s defeat by Bournemouth and, after meandering through a tepid first half, City eventually found their bite at Stamford Bridge. Continue reading...

Officials confirm misfire as Amnesty gives death toll after speaking to survivors of strike on market in Yobe state A Nigerian air force strike targeting jihadist rebels hit a market in north-east Nigeria, killing more than 100 people and injuring many others, Amnesty International and local media have said. Officials confirmed a misfire had occurred but did not provide details. Continue reading...

The Place, London This double bill from choreographers James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight features fluent steps, tension and expression, but their expressed human connection to an AI-driven world was hard to discern There’s a particular look you see on dancers sometimes, as if taking a slow, deep inhalation of something expensive, unfixed gaze, slightly furrowed brow. It’s hard to describe – you know it when you see it – but what it signals is emotional gravitas. It’s often coupled with portentous or overtly emotive music. Both of these things appear in PCK Dance’s double bill Into the Light, along with other signifiers: dark and ominous atmosphere, even an overwritten blurb in the programme. The thing is, choreographic duo James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight don’t need this heavy-handed help, which can drown out the subtleties of the dance, because they are actually really good crafters of movement. The pair are former members of Company Wayne McGregor who’ve been picking up steam as choreographers, and you can see that pedigree in their strong, slick, finessed dancing (and the way their legs whip into the air at extreme angles). They have a talent for stringing together steps in fast but clear sequences packed with movement, like the chatter of a motoring brain. It’s made with fluency and attention to form. Continue reading...

Police arrest man, 37, on suspicion of being in charge of dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death A 19-year-old woman who died after a dog attack in Essex has been named by police as Jamie-Lea Biscoe. Police said the victim was found with serious injuries by emergency services after they were called to a property in Long Hide, in the village of Leaden Roding, at 10.45pm on Friday. Biscoe was pronounced dead at the scene. A 37-year-old man from Dunmow, who was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, has been bailed until July while inquiries continue, Essex police said on Sunday. The canine, which was a family pet and believed to be a lurcher cross, was seized and tests are under way to formally establish the dog’s breed, the force added. Assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper said: “Our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Jamie-Lea. Her young life has been so tragically cut short. “Our detectives are continuing to work around the clock to establish exactly what happened and specialist officers are continuing to support Jamie-Lea’s family. “This is unimaginable for her loved ones and friends and, as such, I would ask people to respect their grief and privacy at this extremely difficult time. “Our officers remain at the scene and anyone with concerns or information can speak with them there or contact us in the usual way.” A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Sunday, police said. Anyone with information that could assist the investigation has been asked to contact Essex police through their website or anonymously through independent charity Crimestoppers. On Thursday, a three-month-old baby died in a suspected dog attack at a property in Redcar, North Yorkshire. The baby girl is believed to have died as a result of a dog bite in the Dormanstown area and a woman, aged 31, was treated in hospital for an injury to her arm from a bite, police said. Armed officers destroyed one dog that had gone on to the street and a second recovered by police has since been destroyed. A man, aged 45, was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death and was released on conditional bail. Continue reading...

An American blockade in the strait of Hormuz raises energy-market dangers after failed negotiations – pushing a fragile ceasefire closer to collapse As the US vice-president, JD Vance, took to a podium in Pakistan after 21 hours of diplomacy and said no deal had been reached to end the war with Iran, his boss Donald Trump was in Miami watching a mixed martial arts fight. The contrast was stark. Just when the outcome of a war and the stability of global markets hung in the balance, the president chose spectacle over engagement. Mr Trump may intend to project strength. But the impression he creates – in Tehran and among America’s allies – is of a president less interested in the substance of diplomacy than in the politics surrounding it. The talks in Islamabad didn’t fail accidentally; the US and Iran were talking past each other. Washington’s position is that Iran must abandon its capacity to develop a nuclear weapon, while Tehran insists it is not seeking one and has the right to a civilian nuclear programme. The US vice-president’s “final and best offer” would have required Iran to give up that capacity altogether – terms that looked less like the basis of a negotiation than an attempt to impose the conditions of victory. Continue reading...

In both Republican and Democratic states, scepticism and hostility towards an unregulated construction boom is growing When blue-collar Trump voters and Maga-friendly midwest states join the same cause as Bernie Sanders and liberal California teachers, something novel is afoot. Last month it was the turn of the Republican party in Texas to express forthright opposition to the construction of datacentres for artificial intelligence, pending adequate environmental safeguards for local communities. Across the United States, similar campaigns are being waged, as voters from across the political spectrum rail against the outsize influence and power of big tech. For the White House, which has made the rapid rollout of datacentres a priority in its AI action plan, the scale of the protests is an unwelcome surprise. One of Donald Trump’s first acts on returning to office was to authorise the deregulated “build, baby, build” approach demanded by the Silicon Valley backers who helped to fund his campaign. Industry giants such Amazon and Microsoft are driving an estimated $710bn worth of investment in datacentres this year, as they stake their future on staying ahead in the AI race. Continue reading...

Mauritian foreign minister pledges to ‘spare no effort’ to regain control of islands, as US fails to give approval of deal A senior official in Mauritius’ government has vowed that the Chagos Islands will be “decolonised” after Keir Starmer was forced to shelve legislation to hand the islands back to Mauritius. On Friday, UK government officials acknowledged that they had run out of time to pass legislation within the current parliamentary session, which ends in the coming weeks, after a lack of support from Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Empire Polo Club, Indio, California For a reportedly record-breaking amount of money, the increasingly reclusive star proves his voice is still golden in a headliner performance light on enthusiasm Throughout the Strokes main stage set on Saturday evening, you could see them: fans, many of them women, unaffected by the New York indie rockers as they pushed forward through the crowd to stake out spots hours in advance for the night’s closer, Justin Bieber. “I know why you’re here … JUSTIN BIEBER!” the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas joked, sort of, between songs. “We’re happy to lube you up for him.” Perhaps Casablancas picked up on an anxious energy from the crowd: the chance to see Bieber in a Coachella primetime slot seemed at once inevitable and improbable. Save a stripped-down Grammys performance and two very selective LA warm-up shows, the 32-year-old pop star had not performed publicly in over four years, since cancelling his 2022 Justice World Tour amid a host of health issues. Maybe it’s because vulnerability is an established element of a performer who, for years, appeared dead behind the eyes in public, or the fact that Bieber recently ditched the managerial framework that guided his rocky career, or the lingering sting of Frank Ocean’s disastrous headliner set in 2023, when a generationally beloved artist with little recent performance experience cracked under the pressure: few Coachella headliner sets have generated this much buzz – Saturday broke Coachella’s single-day ticket record – and perhaps this much parasocial concern. Continue reading...

Readers respond to Reform UK’s threat to deny visas to citizens of countries seeking compensation for slavery It is not necessary to agree with the slavery reparations movement in order to see through the crude and threadbare logic of Zia Yusuf’s tirade against it (Reform UK would stop visas for people from countries seeking slavery reparations, 7 April). Britain’s prominent role in ending the slave trade and subsequently slavery neither absolves its involvement in those enterprises nor erases their effects. Endless reiteration of it does, however, encourage a sentimental attachment to a single, insular version of history. Similarly, to claim that advocates for reparations are using history “as a weapon to drain our treasury” is a wilful misrepresentation, designed to jolt the indignant reflexes of Reform UK supporters too lazy to engage with extensive argument. Continue reading...