Advisers despair over disastrous display although Biden gives vigorous showing at North Carolina rally on Friday

Panicking Democrats were speculating about whether Joe Biden should be replaced as their party’s nominee for US president following a disastrous debate performance that turned whispers about his age and fitness into a roar.

Biden’s shaky, raspy-voiced showing against Donald Trump at the first presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday was widely panned as a disaster that, instead of assuaging fears about his mental acuity, amplified them on the biggest political stage.

Exclusive: Former Labour leader calls on party to ratchet up scrutiny of Reform in final week of campaign

Neil Kinnock has warned his party not to ignore the nationalist threat posed by Nigel Farage, as concern grows in Labour ranks that Reform UK could pose a long-term threat for them as well as for the Conservatives.

The former Labour leader told the Guardian he wanted Labour to turn its guns on Farage’s party in the final week of the election campaign, saying the populist right could gain a stronghold in the UK as it has across much of Europe.

Exclusive: Ofwat to investigate circumstances around payment of dividend to intermediate parent company

The board of Thames Water agreed to pay a £150m dividend hours before its shareholders U-turned on plans to pump emergency funding into the struggling water supplier, the Guardian can reveal.

The water industry regulator was examining the decision by the debt-laden company’s board to sign off the payout at a meeting on 27 March, sources said.

The first day is reaching its climax – join us as we review the best sets and bop to Pyramid stage headliner Dua Lipa

Park, 12.25pm

Just after Lynx at Park, Bishi – wearing a gold kaftan and a white feathery headdress – performs Yoko Ono’s Voice Peace for Soprano before leading the crowd in a primal scream for peace, power and whatever you fancy, really. (If collectivism isn’t your thing, she suggests it could be a warmup for Dua Lipa later on the Pyramid stage.)

Britain to make legal arguments over jurisdiction in case of alleged war crimes by the Israeli PM

An intervention by the UK government at the international criminal court is expected to delay a decision over whether an arrest warrant can be issued against the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Judges at the ICC ruled on Thursday they would allow the UK to make legal arguments in the case as they consider whether to approve requests made by the ICC’s chief prosecutor for warrants against Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

Claimants include family of 11-year-old girl who spent three weeks on dialysis after eating chicken salad sandwich

Tesco and Asda are being sued by customers, including the family of an 11-year-old girl, who were left seriously ill after eating own-brand sandwiches linked to an outbreak of E coli.

The supermarkets face legal action after a child and adult were left in hospital. One person has been confirmed to have died and more than 120 others including a six-year-old have been hospitalised in the UK due to the bacteria.

University sought order after students slept in building for more than a month in response to report about LSE’s Gaza-linked investments

The London School of Economics has been granted a court order indefinitely barring encampments in one of its buildings after students slept in its atrium for more than a month in support of Palestine.

Several students set up the camp in the atrium of the ground floor of the Marshall Building in central London on 14 May, vowing to remain there until LSE met its demands.

Bodies of Lauren Evans, 22, and Daniel Duffield, 24, were discovered at a house in Hednesford, Cannock, on Tuesday

Police say they are not looking for anyone else after a paramedic was found dead along with a woman at a house in Staffordshire.

A murder investigation was launched after the bodies of Lauren Evans, 22, from Bridgend, south Wales, and Daniel Duffield,24, from Cannock, were discovered at a property in Hednesford, Cannock, on Tuesday.

Court rules prosecutors overstepped in bringing obstruction charges against Capitol rioters

Conservative bloc

Alito – Majority

Barrett – Minority

Gorsuch – Majority

Kavanaugh – Majority

Roberts – Majority

Thomas – Majority

Jackson – Majority

Kagan – Minority

Sotomayor – Minority

Climate groups and anti-war activists say bank using reported £20m deal to ‘hide its multitude of sins’

Wimbledon is facing calls to drop Barclays as a sponsor over the bank’s ties to fossil fuels and defence companies supplying Israel.

Ahead of the 2024 championships, which begin on Monday, climate groups and anti-war activists say the bank is using the event to “cover up its role” in funding the climate crisis and to “hide from accountability for its role in enabling Israel’s war crimes”.