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BREAKING

8h Harry to resume testimony as High Court hears phone hacking claims

13h PGA Tour and LIV Golf announce shock merger as legal battle ends

15h Bournemouth beach: Boat operations suspended after teen drownings

15h Londoners facing bus strikes ‘chaos’ as drivers announce new walkouts

15h Margaret Ferrier suspended from Commons for 30 days over Covid rules

6h PM says Ukraine dam attack would be ‘new low’ if Russia responsible

Politics

Scotland’s First Minister has vowed to keep lobbying for the release of a Scottish Sikh blogger who has been jailed in India for more than five years (Scottish Government/PA)

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Yousaf vows to keep lobbying India for release of jailed Scottish Sikh blogger

Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton has been imprisoned for more than 2,000 days in India.

By Alana Calvert

A poll of primary and early years teachers in schools in England found 84% agree that primary children’s attention span is ‘shorter than ever’ post-Covid (PA)

43m

Children’s attention span is ‘shorter than ever’ in the classroom, teachers say

More than two in three primary school teachers believe children’s classroom behaviour has worsened post-Covid, a survey suggests.

By Eleanor Busby

43m

Nearly a third of primary schools have no male classroom teachers – study

The proportion of secondary school teachers who are male remains at a record low of 35%, according to a Warwick Business School report.

By Eleanor Busby

Sunak to meet Biden for talks on AI, Ukraine and the economy

Rishi Sunak will meet the US President, senior figures in Congress and business chiefs in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday.

By David Hughes

Sunak to attend baseball game during trip to Washington

The Prime Minister will not throw the first pitch at the game but will use his visit to meet business chiefs and service personnel.

By David Hughes

£40m pilot to expand availability of weight loss drugs on NHS

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the use of drugs to tackle obesity could be a ‘game-changer’ to ease pressure on the NHS.

By David Hughes

Ukrainians protest outside Russian consulate after major dam damaged

Ukrainians demanding Vladimir Putin’s forces leave their homeland decried Russia as a ‘terrorist state’ as they protested in Edinburgh.

Sunak: Destruction of Ukraine dam a ‘new low’ if Russian forces are responsible

By David Hughes

Government to seek volunteers for social care work amid staff shortages – report

Solicitors seek clarity on Sturgeon’s Covid-19 WhatsApp messages

By Rebecca McCurdy

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says BBC is ‘biased on occasion’

Who is Margaret Ferrier? MP suspended from Commons

By Beril Naz Hassan

Cabinet Office deadline to clarify Johnson WhatsApp redaction stance

Covid inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett challenged the Government on why it wanted to block material Boris Johnson was happy to submit to the probe

By Patrick Daly

Who is Baroness Hallet? Covid inquiry chair under Johnson’s skin

Baroness Hallett aims to end the Covid inquiry by summer 2026

By Lola Christina Alao

Who is Ian Blackford? SNP MP will not stand at next election

Blackford said on Tuesday he had been “privileged and humbled” to serve as an MP for eight years

By Nuray Bulbul

Recall by-election possible as Ferrier’s Commons ban approved

By Katrine Bussey

Ian Blackford to step down from Commons at next election

Labour should win over ‘up for grabs’ rural communities, Mandelson warns

By Rebecca Speare-Cole

Sadiq Khan: Migration bill could see 50,000 become homeless in London

By Noah Vickers

UK’s first deposit return scheme ‘cannot go ahead as planned’, minister says

By Katrine Bussey

Transparency row between Government and Covid inquiry widens

Both the Foreign Office and Cabinet Office had made submissions containing redactions, the chairwoman was told.

By Patrick Daly

Government must show how it will pay for ‘unfunded’ NHS workforce plan – Labour

Minsiters faced questions over whether the long-term NHS workforce plan will be funded by borrowing or cuts.

‘I am not an arsonist’: Badenoch defends EU law ‘bonfire’ climbdown

The Business and Trade Secretary was grilled by MPs during an appearance at the European Scrutiny Committee.

By Dominic McGrath

Margaret Ferrier suspended from House of Commons after Covid rules breach

The Commons voted 185 to 40, majority 145, to approve the motion to suspend the independent MP.

MP calls for new legal right to visit loved ones in hospital or living care

Dan Carden said the care of a loved one should not be an ‘optional extra’.

Aubergine comments by This Morning editor ‘ill-judged’, says ITV boss

MPs quiz ITV’s group director of strategy Magnus Brooke about the Phillip Schofield scandal

By Rachael Burford

Covid Inquiry could see unredacted Johnson WhatsApp messages despite legal clash

The counsel for the inquiry said Boris Johnson’s co-operation means his team is likely to be able to read unredacted messages and notebooks.

By Patrick Daly

Liverpool and Middlesbrough could host next barges for asylum seekers – reports

Rishi Sunak revealed two more giant vessels will be used for migrant accommodation.

By Flora Thompson

Margaret Ferrier suspended from Commons for 30 days over Covid rules

By Nicholas Cecil Sami Quadri

Yousaf using deposit return row to hide his Government’s failings, claims Sarwar

The First Minister and his Cabinet say the scheme may not be able to continue in light of a UK Government decision it must exclude glass.

By Rebecca McCurdy

Harry says Government is at ‘rock bottom’ in High Court statement

The Duke of Sussex said: ‘Our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our Government – both of which I believe are at rock bottom.’

Starmer vows to avoid mistakes of coal mine closures in shift to green energy

The Labour leader was warned at the GMB union’s conference that plans to ban new oil and gas licences could decimate communities.

By Sophie Wingate

Ministers could face ‘criminal sanctions’ for deleting WhatsApp messages

The Information Commissioner told MPs that ministers and senior officials should not use WhatsApp’s ‘disappearing messages’ function.

By Christopher McKeon

Campaign group loses legal fight with Government over arms sales to Saudi Arabia

Campaign Against Arms Trade was challenging the lawfulness of a decision to continue licensing arms exports for ‘possible use’ in a war in Yemen.

By Brian Farmer

Labour says AI should be licensed, like nuclear power

Sue Gray could take up senior Labour job in autumn – reports

By Sophie Wingate

Damage to Ukrainian dam ‘abhorrent act’ – Cleverly

By Dominic McGrath

Political row over Scotland’s deposit return scheme explained

The environmental initiative is at the centre of a political storm.

Covid inquiry not backing down in Boris Johnson WhatsApp messages row

Baroness Heather Hallett addresses ministers’ decision to launch legal action in a bid to prevent the Cabinet Office handing over the former PM’s unredacted messages and notebooks

By Rachael Burford

Yousaf urged to ‘hold his nerve’ on UK’s first deposit return scheme

Environmental campaigners urged the Scottish First Minister to continue with the scheme, despite Westminster barring it from including glass bottles.

By Katrine Bussey

Firms warned not to give in to blackmail after payroll data hack

Russia-linked ransomware group Clop claimed responsibility for the cyber attack, which hit companies including British Airways, the BBC and Boots

By Rachael Burford

Covid Inquiry head making ‘no comment’ on legal row over Johnson messages

Baroness Hallett told a preliminary inquiry hearing that she would not speak about the judicial review proceedings launched by ministers.

By Dominic McGrath

Minister orders Border Force to ‘see me in my office’ after e-gates failure

The 24-hour outage caused long queues at airports across the UK on May 26 and 27.

By Neil Lancefield

Labour former attorney general Lord Morris of Aberavon dies aged 91

Sir Tony Blair said his ‘extraordinary career, being a minister under three different Labour leaders, was unprecedented’.

By Sophie Wingate

Covid inquiry chairwoman expected to address High Court challenge

Baroness Hallett is set to respond for the first time to the decision to contest her request for Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages

By Patrick Daly

Keir Starmer bids to persuade unions to back plan for shift to green energy

At the GMB conference the Labour leader will pledge to work with unions to ‘seize the opportunities” of hydrogen power and carbon capture and storage.

By David Hughes

Threat to delay Illegal Migration Bill emerges as peers demand impact assessment

Home Office minister Lord Murray of Blidworth repeatedly said details of the economic impact assessment will emerge ‘in due course’.

By Richard Wheeler

Braverman wrong to say asylum initial decision backlog has reduced, says Labour

The Home Secretary declined to respond to the criticism.

Scottish Labour leader stresses oil and gas will play major part for ‘decades’

Covid inquiry legal challenge could be heard by end of June - minister

By Pa Political Staff

Boris Johnson calls on Government to accelerate levelling-up measures

Tory MP says Rishi Sunak’s migrant barges will be ‘quasi-prison’

Dorset MP Richard Drax says ‘no key questions have been answered’ about barge in his constituency

By Daniel Keane

Ukraine can count on UK support, Cleverly tells Zelensky in Kyiv

The Foreign Secretary made his second visit to the war-torn nation amid signs an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive may have begun.

By Sophie Wingate

Youth campaigners urge Prime Minister to back climate and nature Bill

Backed by MPs, councils and members of the public, the Bill aims to guide the UK towards cutting emissions.

By Danny Halpin

Scottish deposit return can ‘absolutely’ work without glass, operator insists

By Katrine Bussey

Tory MP Bob Stewart charged with racially abusing activist

Hancock apologises after breaching MPs’ conduct rules by lobbying standards tsar

By Patrick Daly

London MP Bob Stewart charged with ‘racially-aggravated abuse’

By Rachael Burford

James Cleverly meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

By Sophie Wingate

Labour right to block new North Sea oil and gas, say civil society groups

By Danny Halpin

Children’s writing at ‘crisis point’ as enjoyment among pupils drops – report

By Eleanor Busby