US reports 30% of adults fully vaccinated; Florida mayors say governor's orders worsened spring break surge: Latest COVID-19 updates

The Florida Department of Education reviewed state data, not finding a correlation between mask mandates and COVID-19 in schools. Latest COVID news.
     

Will Trump tone down for calmer campaign?

Donald Trump’s top strategist Paul Manafort is telling Republican National Committee members they will soon see a different candidate in the months to come. Manafort says Trump is ready to reach out to a wider range of voters. He spoke as party officials said rejected convention rule changes that could have improved other candidates' chances. Major Garrett spoke to Manafort in Hollywood, Florida, where the RNC spring meeting continues Friday.

Obama dines with queen and jumps into Britain's EU debate

President Obama and the first lady plan to lunch with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday to toast her 90th birthday, but the timing is controversial. Margaret Brennan reports on Obama's efforts to help Prime Minister David Cameron with a tough vote on whether Britain will remain in the European Union.

J&J asked Pfizer and Moderna to help study blood-clot risks but they declined, report says

J&J asked Covid vaccine rivals Pfizer and Moderna to join a study looking into the potential risk of blood clots, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Biden to host Japanese PM at White House in president’s first visit from foreign leader – live

Yoshihide Suga and Biden will participate in expanded bilateral meetingNorth Korea and China will be primary topics of conversation – official
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Japan’s ambassador to the US said the meeting between Joe Biden and Yoshihide Suga will focus on the need for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region.

Ambassador Koji Tomita previewed the visit of the Japanese prime minister by providing some written answers to questions from Voice of America.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in will also visit Washington next month, the White House announced yesterday.

The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said Moon will likely meet with Joe Biden at some point in the second half of May.

Coronavirus live news: India extends record daily run of new infections; Japan to expand quasi-emergency measures

Spike in Indian cases spurred by hundreds of positive tests at major religious gathering; Japan to extend Covid restrictions to 10 regions

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By end of May, one in three Germans should have been offered the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, health minister Jens Spahn said.
Germany should be able to abandon its strict prioritisation list for Coronavirus vaccinations towards the summer, Spahn told a news conference.

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Covid-19 infections across all parts of the UK have fallen to the lowest level since the autumn, new figures suggest.

According to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), around one in 480 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to 10 April – down from one in 340 the previous week.

Sir David Attenborough's "The Year Earth Changed" explores nature's rebound amid COVID lockdowns

A new Apple TV+ documentary narrated by the legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough is exploring how nature rebounded during COVID-19 lockdowns. Attenborough and "The Year Earth Changed" Executive Producer Mike Gunton join "CBS This Morning" to discuss how species from penguins to humpback whales thrived when humans stayed indoors.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb explains why he believes Covid won't be eradicated in U.S. like smallpox

Americans do not "seem to be prepared" to do what's necessary to stamp out Covid, former FDA chief Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC.

Photo-sharing is back: how social media has framed the pandemic

Pictures of pubs and haircuts as UK Covid restrictions eased highlight how our digital lives have changed

They have flooded in recent days on to Twitter and Facebook, or been shared in excited texts and WhatsApps: photographs of beaming friends and colleagues, delightedly capturing the moment they could at last down a pub garden pint, or have a haircut, or receive a long-awaited vaccine.

As Britain has begun to ease Covid restrictions and the vaccine rollout continues, pubs, shops and immunisation centres are not the only places that have seen a flurry of activity. On social media, too, after a year in which, at times, there didn’t seem much to photograph, exuberant photo-sharing is very much back. Or as one Twitter user put it after outdoor hospitality opened this week in England: “Everyone is taking selfies like they haven’t been to the pub before.”

Trans students aren't a 'hotly contested issue.' They're a reality and deserve respect.

A professor's freedom to express religious disapproval doesn't trump the dignity of our transgender students. Call them by the names they request.
     

India Covid variant found in UK specimens taken in February

Researchers worry that ‘variant under investigation’ contains mutations that could help it evade immune response

The first of the 77 cases of the India variant of coronavirus found in the UK were detected in specimens dating back to February, the Guardian has learned.

On Thursday Public Health England (PHE) revealed that 77 cases of a variant first detected in India, called B.1.617, had been found in the UK, with 73 cases in England and four in Scotland.

A cautionary tale: COVID infection after vaccination is rare but breakthroughs can happen. It happened to this man.

The CDC says only 5,800 of the 75M Americans who have been fully vaccinated have contracted COVID-19. Carey Alexander Washington was one of them.
     

Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson on new $20

Former President Andrew Jackson is being evicted from the face of the $20 dollar bill. The U.S. Treasury confirmed Wednesday that former slave and iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman would replace him, who was a slave owner. Julianna Goldman spoke to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew about the switch.

EU and UK hold ‘productive’ talks on Northern Ireland crisis

Brexit minister David Frost says momentum has been established in efforts to ease tensions

Talks between the EU and UK to ease tensions in Northern Ireland have been described as “productive” and “constructive” with momentum now established to achieve a solution to the crisis, the Brexit minister, David Frost, has said.

But the EU used the first face-to-face meeting since lockdown between Lord Frost and the European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, to warn that the outcome needed to be jointly agreed.

Colombia answers one of the biggest and least funded migrant crises. Would it work in the US?

"Some governments have approached migration ... with xenophobia," says Colombian president Ivan Duque. "You don't have to be a rich country to do the right thing."
     

Oscars 2021: looming TV ratings disaster could be calamitous for Academy

The starry telecast keeps the Academy afloat – but plunging viewers suggest the institution is out of sync with the public

As its big night approaches, the Academy is staring disaster in the face. As well as the fact that the Oscars’ TV ratings have been declining for years, the catastrophic audience figures for the Golden Globes last month disappointing viewer numbers for the Baftas last Sunday demonstrated that the Covid-era awards show has proved a dramatic turn-off. The televised Academy Awards show, due to air on 25 April, is likely to attract its smallest audience ever which could have a disastrous effect on the Oscars’ future.

Related: Comfort food: the Oscars nominations are not nearly as radical as they think they are

Judge rules government can take South Texas family's land despite Biden's 'pause' on wall

Three weeks after Joe Biden's pause on wall-related condemnation cases ended, a South Texas family lost its fight over its land on the border.
     

Harriet Tubman to grace the new $20 bill

The abolitionist who risked her life bringing hundreds of slaves to freedom is bumping a slaveholder and former president to the back of the bill. Harriet Tubman will be the face of the new $20 bill. Julianna Goldman reports.

Russia hits out at UK support for US sanctions over hacking

UK’s release of details on Russian cyber-espionage ‘nothing more than an attempt to play along with’ US

Russian diplomats have lashed out at the UK for joining the US in condemning Russia’s international cyber-espionage efforts, including elections interference and the SolarWinds hack.

The UK ambassador to Russia, Deborah Bronnert, met Russian diplomatic officials at the foreign ministry in Moscow on Friday, hours after the Russian embassy in London called the UK’s release of details on hacking by Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, as “nothing more than an attempt to play along with the USA”.

President Obama meets with king of Saudi Arabia amid tensions

President Obama met with Saudi Arabia's king for two hours on Wednesday. The president was met by a small delegation, minus the usual pomp and ceremony that is usually given to world leaders. Margaret Brennan has more.

Could Trump lock up GOP nomination before the convention?

John Dickerson, CBS News political director and anchor of "Face the Nation," has some insight into the delegate math of the presidential campaign. The magic number of delegates on the GOP side has been reported as 1,237 -- but there might actually be some wiggle room.

Trump declares GOP nomination race over

After a blowout win in New York Tuesday, Donald Trump feels it's only a matter of time before he has the Republican nomination for president locked up. Ted Cruz and John Kasich have other ideas. Major Garrett has more.

Biden starts off presidency with positive approval marks, CNBC survey shows

Joe Biden begins his presidency having achieved out of the gate what his predecessor could only do once during his four years: a positive approval rating.

Australia records first fatality from blood clots linked to AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

The 48-year-old NSW woman died this week after receiving the vaccine on 8 April, federal health authorities say

Australia’s drugs regulator has determined the death of a 48-year-old diabetic woman who developed blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine was “likely” linked to the jab.

Following a meeting of Australia’s Vaccine Safety Investigation Group on Friday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration said experts had concluded the New South Wales woman’s death this week was likely linked to the jab.

Women in England almost twice as likely as men to be prescribed opiate painkillers

Experts worried about high use of drugs such as codeine and tramadol after prescriptions rose during Covid pandemic

Women in England are almost twice as likely as men to be prescribed powerful and potentially addictive opiate painkillers, prompting experts to warn that female pain is overly medicated and not properly investigated.

The number of people prescribed drugs such as codeine and tramadol – often used for chronic pain – rose to 1.18 million in the first 10 months of 2020. Of these, 745,047 were women and 434,697 were men, a Guardian analysis found.

US-made guns are ripping Central America apart and driving migration north | Ioan Grillo

An iron river of illegal guns flows from the US to Mexico, Central America, and across the hemisphere

The stray bullet from the gang fight struck Katery Ramos when she was 12 years old, playing on the dirt street in the poor Planeta neighbourhood of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. “I was standing up for a moment, afterwards I fell,” she told me, sitting with her mother in a scrubby field near her home.

Related: Biden strikes international deal in bid to stop migrants reaching US border

These parents had to bond with their babies over Zoom — or risk losing them forever

During the pandemic, video chats replaced in-person visits between parents and their children placed in foster care. The effects could linger for years.
     

Millions of Americans think the election was stolen. How worried should we be about more violence?

A recent survey showed an estimated 50m Republicans believe the false claim, but experts say many Trump supporters appear to be cooling down

Three months after an insurrection at the US capitol, an estimated 50 million Republicans still believe the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, according to a recent national survey. But it’s far from clear how many Americans might still be willing to take violent action in support of that belief.

Early research on the continued risk of violence related to Trump’s “big lie” has produced a wide variety of findings. One political scientist at the University of Chicago estimated, based on a single national survey in March, that the current size of an ongoing “insurrectionist movement” in the US might be as large as 4% of American adults, or about 10 million people.

The Backstory: Nancy Pelosi's No. 1 lesson on power: 'Nobody's going to give it to you. You've got to take it.'

In a new book by Susan Page, Pelosi talks about her mother, her leadership, the "Squad" and tearing up Trump's speech.     

Why Local Election Officials In Georgia Take Issue With Many Parts Of New Law

One provision in Georgia's controversial law that particularly worries many officials is a new ability for the State Election Board to take over a county's election management.

Biden to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Suga to White House for talks on China, climate change, Olympics

The summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will be Joe Biden's first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader since becoming president.
     

Magnus Carlsen’s wait for challenger almost over as Candidates returns

The tournament to decide who will take on Carlsen for his world crown restarts on Monday after a year-long Covid-enforced delay

The Covid-hit Candidates will resume in Ekaterinburg on Monday, a full year after the eight-player tournament to decide the official challenger for Magnus Carlsen’s global crown was unceremoniously and tantalisingly halted at halfway by the pandemic.

Only six of the players are still in realistic contention, though. China’s world No 3 Ding Liren is effectively out of it – tied last with the Russian outsider Kirill Alekseenko on a measly 2.5/7 – with six players ahead of him and only seven rounds left.

Premier League, FA Cup and EFL: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Tuchel v Guardiola at Wembley, Leicester need Covid trio and Jürgen Klopp’s front-three selection problems

The blueprint for beating Manchester City is not complex, because it is identical to the blueprint for beating any other team: attack well and defend properly. Of course there are subtleties within that and City’s ability to retain possession while creating chances can make both aspects extremely taxing, but Chelsea are better placed than most to find a way. At some point, Thomas Tuchel will probably instruct his team to play more expansively than they do now, but at Wembley he will station two defensive midfielders in front of three centre-backs – a difficult barrier for any team to pick through, never mind one facing players as good as Chelsea’s. Going forward, though, things are trickier, because although City’s defensive record is better than their defending, Tuchel has yet to find the right creative blend. He will, though, be heartened by the recent improvement of Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz. DH

Brazil COVID-19: 'Humanitarian Crisis' With More Than 3,000 Deaths A Day

The Supreme Court has approved an inquiry into President Jair Bolsonaro's pandemic response. Doctors Without Borders says the country's approach has led to a "near collapse of Brazil's health system."

Biden hits Russia with new sanctions in response to election meddling

Ten diplomats expelled as part of fresh package of sanctions announced by US president as Russia says retaliation ‘inevitable’

The Biden administration has announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats and broad sanctions against Russian officials and companies in retaliation for Moscow’s interference in elections and cyber-espionage campaigns such as the SolarWinds hack.

The sanctions, which were the Biden administration’s largest punitive action against the Kremlin yet, also targeted six Russian cybersecurity companies deemed to be involved in the SolarWinds hack, as well as 32 individuals and entities deemed to be involved in efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.

Trump campaign chief Manafort's associate Kilimnik gave Russia 2016 election strategy, polling, U.S. says

Konstantin Kilimnik, who has been identified as a Russian intelligence agent, worked closely with Paul Manafort, the 2016 Trump campaign chairman.

Biden says he is ready to 'take further actions' if Russia escalates against U.S., opens door to cooperation

Biden's remarks came after his administration sanctioned several Russian nationals and entities for the Solarwinds hack and election interference.

Former Vice President Pence gets pacemaker implanted, expects full recovery

Pence underwent surgery to have a pacemaker implanted after experiencing "symptoms associated with a slow heart rate," his office said.

Fewer Migrant Children Held In Border Detention Facilities, But Challenges Remain

Health and Human Services has opened a dozen emergency influx shelters for unaccompanied migrant children, easing a bottleneck at the border. But the Biden administration still faces big challenges.

President Biden should name Vice President Harris to launch and lead a police reform drive ASAP

Our View: Biden owes Black voters for his job and Senate control. It's past time to ramp up police reform and make it a priority. Lives depend on it.
     

Biden resists raising refugee cap over political optics, sources say

President Joe Biden has resisted signing off on raising the Trump-era refugee cap because of political optics, sources have told CNN.

US has ‘low to moderate confidence’ in reports of Russian bounty on US troops

US intelligence evaluates claims of Afghanistan bountiesPress reports sparked outrage and calls to confront Kremlin

US intelligence agencies have only “low to moderate confidence” in reports last year that Russian spies were offering Taliban militants in Afghanistan bounties for killing US soldiers.

The reports in the press citing intelligence sources sparked outrage and demands from Democrats for the Trump administration to confront the Kremlin over the issue.

China To Loom Large At Biden's Summit With Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga

As the U.S. tries to enlist allies to help meet the challenges posed by China, perhaps no nation is more central than Japan. Suga is the first foreign leader to meet face-to-face with President Biden.

Homebuilder confidence rises in April despite record high lumber prices

One year after home construction ground to a screeching halt, due to the Covid pandemic, builders are more than bullish yet again.

Daily U.S. Covid cases remain above 70,000 amid Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause

The rate of new U.S. Covid cases remains elevated as the country continues efforts to ramp up its vaccination campaign.

Many Evangelicals object to vaccination. Experts say misinformation plays a role

• 'I'm a prophet': See pastor discourage congregation from taking Covid vaccine

Infrastructure negotiations: 4 things to watch

Congressional Republicans have criticized President Joe Biden's roughly $2 trillion proposal focused on infrastructure and the climate crisis as a far-reaching wish list of liberal priorities and have taken issue with how the plan would be paid for.

David Cameron’s lobbying scandal

The Guardian’s banking correspondent, Kalyeena Makortoff, and political correspondent Rajeev Syal discuss the unprecedented formal inquiry into lobbying by the former prime minister David Cameron on behalf of the collapsed finance company Greensill Capital

The Guardian’s banking correspondent, Kalyeena Makortoff, talks to Rachel Humphreys about Greensill, a company that specialised in supply-chain finance, and its relationship with the former prime minister David Cameron. Cameron joined Greensill as an adviser in 2018, two years after resigning as prime minister. It has emerged that last year he sent texts to Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, and “informally” phoned two other Treasury ministers, asking for Greensill Capital to get the largest possible allocation of government-backed loans under the Covid corporate financing facility, or CCFF. He also lobbied a No 10 aide, and in 2019 took Lex Greensill to a “private drink” with Matt Hancock, the health secretary.

Although Cameron hasn’t broken any rules, there have been questions raised over the fact that he appears to have used personal contacts to seek preferential treatment for a company in which he had a financial stake. On Monday No 10 said it was launching an independent investigation into Cameron’s lobbying, led by the corporate lawyer and government adviser Nigel Boardman. Rachel also hears from Guardian political correspondent Rajeev Syal about how Cameron has responded to the scandal and the wider role of lobbying in UK politics.

Will we need a Covid pass to get into the pub?

The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, has announced plans for a domestic Covid-status certificate. We look to Israel, where a similar scheme has been introduced, and discuss how it might work here

Last week, Boris Johnson set out plans for a domestic vaccine passport system to help the country emerge from lockdown.

To see how it might work, Anushka Asthana talks to the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent, Oliver Holmes, about life in Israel, where the government introduced a similar scheme in February.

The universe is expanding – but what is it expanding into?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Scientists and astronomers tell us that the universe is expanding. But what is it expanding into, ie what’s beyond the universe?
Phil Town, Lisbon

Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published on Sunday.

'A heck of a guy': Joe Biden pays tribute to Prince Philip – video

Joe Biden has paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, and sent condolences to Queen Elizabeth II. 'He was a heck of a guy,' the US president told reporters at a photo opportunity in the Oval Office, '99-years-old and he never slowed down at all - which I admire the devil out of.'

US Capitol: officer dead after suspect rams car against security barrier – video report

The US Capitol was put under lockdown after a car reportedly rammed two US Capitol police officers before crashing into a giant concrete barrier outside the complex.

The suspect reportedly drove into the barrier and launched an attack with a knife and was shot dead by police. Two officers were taken to two different hospitals and police said one had died from his injuries

'America's on trial': family and supporters take a knee for George Floyd – video

George Floyd's family and attorneys gathered outside the heavily-barricaded court house before former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin went on trial Monday.

'They can't sweep this under the rug,' said Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother, to reporters. Philonise and other speakers spoke about the video that showed Chauvin's knee on Floyd's neck that would be brought as evidence during the trial