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Anthony Albanese outlines vision for medicines, manufacturing jobs, gender pay equity, electric vehicles and housing affordability

Details released of tale about Queen’s 70-year reign, which is felt to be too ‘Anglocentric’ by devolved governmentsThe platinum jubilee children’s book due to go out to every state primary school pupil to celebrate the Queen this month will not be welcomed in all Welsh or Scottish schools.On the request of the Scottish and Welsh governments, schools in those regions will be asked instead to opt-in to receive copies. Continue reading...

Denis Avey’s publishers plan changes to new editions of bestseller as researcher raises alarmIt started with an extraordinary tale of wartime bravery and led to the publication of a bestselling account, The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz, and to a BBC documentary. Then the difficult questions began. Were the heroic exploits of Denis Avey really all they seemed? Was his dramatic claim he had swapped places with a man inside a concentration camp possibly a fake?In spite of growing doubts, Avey’s story that he saved the life of a Jewish prisoner by placing himself in danger while he was being held in a prisoner-of-war sub-camp near Auschwitz is still in popular currency. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese and senior Labor members speak at ALP campaign launch in Perth; Scott Morrison speaks at Sydney rally; Coalition outlines e-safety plan; Greens announce LGBTQ+ equality plan; Victoria reports seven Covid deaths; NSW reports five; South Australia reports two. This blog is now closed

Group championing rights of new mothers and pregnant women removed after commenting on government’s lack of progressA charity that champions the employment rights of pregnant women and new mothers has been dropped from a government advisory board after posting critical tweets.In recent months, senior Tories including the culture secretary Nadine Dorries and her predecessor Oliver Dowden have taken pains to position themselves as champions of free speech, decrying “cancel culture”. Continue reading...

‘I was more interested in his acting,’ says Reinaldo Marcus Green in his decision to choose a rising star of British film and theatre to play the king of reggaeHe was the king of reggae, a giant of Jamaican music whose life was cut short in 1981, aged just 36. Now Bob Marley is to be celebrated on the big screen with a film that will be shot in London and Jamaica this autumn.Kingsley Ben-Adir, a rising star of British film and theatre, whose previous roles include Malcolm X in One Night in Miami, will play Marley in the Paramount movie. Continue reading...

In an interview after travelling back to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons said she believed Vladimir Putin still intends to seize the capital

In Neil Parish’s Devon seat, and further north in the Red Wall, there’s little comfort for Boris JohnsonThe market town of Tiverton, which became prosperous in the 16th and 17th centuries thanks to its thriving wool trade, is usually a tranquil kind of place.But it was an uncomfortable spot to be on Saturday as townsfolk digested the news that their MP, Neil Parish, was under investigation for allegedly watching pornography in the House of Commons. Continue reading...

The party is fighting a tough local election map, but could still benefit from symbolic triumphs in high-profile Tory strongholdsLabour heads into this week’s local elections with a spring in its step. The government is in the doldrums, the prime minister is scandal-tainted and unpopular, and the opposition is preferred on nearly all the major issues of the day. Labour has led the opinion polls for months, and Keir Starmer has opened up a lead over the diminished and beleaguered Boris Johnson, becoming the first Labour leader in a decade to hold such an advantage over his Conservative opponent. This sounds like a political environment in which Labour should prosper at the polls.Not so fast. The bulk of this year’s English contests are being fought on Labour’s strongest terrain – London and other big cities – meaning more seats to defend and fewer opportunities for gains. Labour was also riding high when these seats were last contested. The 2018 contest, fought in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 campaign surge, was Labour’s strongest local election showing in the last decade. Continue reading...

Survey shows public attitudes across age, gender, region and voting habits are less polarised than culture wars might suggestAn overwhelming majority of people in the UK hold the “woke” belief that it is important to be alive to issues of race and social justice, according to a new analysis of public attitudes.Four in five Britons believe in being attentive to those issues – the definition of “woke” used by the Merriam-Webster dictionary – leading researchers to claim the country is not as divided by culture wars as is often assumed. An overwhelming majority of Conservative voters and those who backed Brexit also said it was important to be attentive to the issues. Continue reading...

Russia’s foreign ministry says nuclear war ‘should never be unleashed’, as its forces regroup for battle for eastern Ukraine

Opposition leader also vows to make gender equity an objective of the Fair Work Act if ALP wins federal election on 21 May

Scott Morrison argues Labor is ‘looking to make money out of this’ as Anthony Albanese pledges to cut cost of some mortgages by up to $380,000

Killing of Israeli guard in Ariel and a Palestinian in nearby incident raise fears of escalating violenceIsraeli forces on Saturday arrested the suspected killers of a Jewish settlement guard shot in a West Bank attack claimed by a Palestinian armed group that linked it to violence in Jerusalem.Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, one of the main militant groups active in the Israeli-occupied territory, claimed responsibility for the shooting which, along with the killing of a Palestinian, brought a deadly conclusion to a Friday marked by clashes at Jerusalem’s flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque compound. Continue reading...

Strong winds pushed blaze across containment lines, threatening the small town of Las VegasMore than 1,000 firefighters backed by bulldozers and aircraft battled the largest active wildfire in the US on Saturday after strong winds pushed it across some containment lines and closer to a town in northern New Mexico.Preliminary overnight mapping imagery indicated that the fire that has burned at least 166 homes grew in size from 103 square miles on Friday to 152 square miles by early Saturday, officials said. Continue reading...

Labour leader attacks Tory tax rises and inability to tackle the cost of living crisisBoris Johnson has been rendered “incapable of governing” by a series of scandals and rows that have left him unable or unwilling to tackle the cost of living crisis, Keir Starmer has warned.In a final pitch before Thursday’s local elections, the Labour leader said that voters were hearing “the dying groans of a clapped-out government” that was attempting to use “desperate attacks and deflections” to distract from inaction over rising bills and tax increases. Continue reading...

Daughters announced her death on Saturday, one day before the Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of FameNaomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer who formed the Grammy winning duo the Judds with her daughter Wynonna, and was also the mother of the actor Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76.Judd’s daughters announced her death in a statement on Saturday, one day before the Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Continue reading...

Hollywood actor and UN envoy met refugees in the western city of Lviv on Saturday, its regional governor said

The major parties have turned to internet jokes as they fight for attention, but some experts think it’s a big waste of time

Parish resigns over ‘moment of madness’, and claims ‘it was tractors I was looking at on the internet’Disgraced Tory MP Neil Parish, who resigned his seat on Saturday after admitting he had twice watched pornography in the House of Commons chamber, appeared to have committed a criminal offence which carried a maximum two-year prison sentence, Labour said.Parish, who had represented the safe west country seat of Tiverton and Honiton since 2010, said that on the first occasion he watched porn on his mobile phone next to other MPs, including women, he had done so by accident. Continue reading...

Sir Lindsay Hoyle says MPs should no longer employ staff directly, following revelations involving bullying and harassmentA radical overhaul of the working practices in Westminster is being demanded by the House of Commons Speaker, in the wake of a series of scandals over sexual harassment and bullying that have rocked parliament.After a week in which MPs and staff have spoken out over their treatment in the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle said that a review of how parliament functions was now “urgently needed” following the damaging revelations. Continue reading...

Prime minister had broached issue of asymptomatic transmission publicly with advisers long before testing rules were introducedBoris Johnson’s claim that a lack of knowledge about the asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 put care homes at risk has been further undermined after it emerged he openly discussed the potential scale of symptom-free transmission.The prime minister has already been accused of misleading parliament over the claim. He made it last week after the high court ruled that the government had acted unlawfully in ordering the discharge of patients to care homes without testing in the spring of 2020. Johnson told the House of Commons: “What we didn’t know in particular was that Covid could be transmitted asymptomatically.” Continue reading...

The MP for Tiverton and Honiton says he initially found the pornographic website while looking at tractors

UK dispatches minister after ex-leader charged with drug offences and inquiry finds serious governance issuesThe Foreign Office is risking a political backlash on the British Virgin Islands if it goes ahead with plans recommended by an independent commission of inquiry to impose a form of direct rule on the islands from London after allegations of maladministration and corruption.Natalio Wheatley, the acting BVI premier elevated to the office after the former premier Andrew Fahie, 51, was arrested on drug running charges in Miami on Thursday, said he opposed the plan for direct rule for two years, with the British appointed governor taking charge and being advised by a council of local politicians. Continue reading...

Hannah Kenny was subjected to sectarian and misogynistic abuse by three men in east BelfastA Stormont candidate was grabbed by the throat in a terrifying “sectarian and misogynistic” attack while out canvassing.Hannah Kenny, standing for the People Before Profit party, said the assault took place last Saturday while she was delivering election material in east Belfast. Continue reading...

Parish says an initial incident was accidental while looking at tractors, but a second time was deliberate

The 76-year-old former leader, jailed on corruption charges in 2018, is ready to run again and is ahead of incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the pollsFor weeks Hilton Acioli wrestled with the melodies and lyrics that would become the theme tune to one of the most remarkable political careers in recent history.Finally, one morning in the winter of 1989, something clicked. “Lula lá – a star is sparkling. Lula lá – the flourishing of hope,” the Cat Stevens-loving Brazilian songsmith sang as he sat before his computer with a guitar. Continue reading...

Forces to be redeployed over smaller areas with simplified command structure, says UK military report

Early years providers can’t attract qualified workers and the crisis will put prices up, increasing the burden on struggling familiesNurseries across the UK are being forced to close or reduce their services at an alarming rate because they are struggling to recruit and retain staff, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has warned.The crisis is only set to deepen as more childcare providers go out of business, increasing demand for places and pushing prices even higher for families struggling with the rising cost of living. Continue reading...

Sue Parish claims she was unaware of Tory MP’s suspension until a journalist asked her for a quote

Ease of finding accommodation and work lures 10 times the number who have made it to BritainWhen it became clear to Liliia Fomina that the war raging outside her hometown of Zaporizhzhia would continue not just for days, but months or even years, she decided that she wanted to flee to the UK. A sponsor in Windsor was found, and on 18 March the 29-year-old applied for a British visa for herself and her five-year-old son Lev.The pair sheltered with friends of friends in a village near Chernivtsi, in western Ukraine, and waited: one week, two weeks, three weeks. By the time her visa finally came through, after almost a month of uncertainty, the lawyer had changed her mind. Continue reading...

Footage shows injured man, who gives his name as Andrew Hill, being questioned by Russian forces

People in Devon town have little sympathy and say Tory should ‘admit what he’s done’ and resign

Anthony Albanese will unveil $329m Help to Buy housing initiative as the centrepiece of Labor’s campaign launch in Perth

Retiree Jim Fitton, 66, was detained when airport security found ‘valueless’ pottery shards in luggageThe family of a retired British geologist facing the death penalty in Iraq have called on the UK government to urgently intervene.Jim Fitton, 66, was detained by authorities in the Middle Eastern country, accused of smuggling, during a geology and archaeology trip. Continue reading...

With no Moneypenny and no M, a previously unpublished script reveals the author’s original ideas for MoonrakerIn the action-packed film Moonraker, James Bond escapes from Jaws, the metal-toothed villain, on a hang-glider that ejects from a speedboat just as he drives over the precipice of a waterfall. It is one of numerous outlandish scenes in the film that Ian Fleming never wrote in his original 007 novel. And it could not be more different to the author’s own version of the film, according to a previously unpublished script.In 1956, a year after the Moonraker novel was published, Fleming wrote his own 150-page film treatment with a plot that is as serious as the 1979 film is lightweight, despite Roger Moore’s charm as the fictional spy. Continue reading...

Thousands are without power after a suspected twister tore through parts of the state on Friday eveningA suspected tornado that barrelled through parts of Kansas damaged multiple buildings, injured several people and left more than 6,500 people without power, officials said.Officials said the suspected twister moved though parts of south-east Wichita and Andover on Friday evening. Andover fire chief, Chad Russell, said during a news conference on Saturday morning that 50 to 100 buildings were damaged in Sedgwick County, though it was not immediately known how many buildings were damaged in Andover. Continue reading...

Officers say they believe body discovered in Forest of Bowland area of Lancashire is that of KenyonOfficers searching for missing Katie Kenyon have found the body of a woman in an area of the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire police said.The force said although the woman’s identity had not been formally confirmed, they believed it to be Kenyon. Continue reading...

Tory MP says he did not mean to cause offence by suggesting they enjoyed ‘quiet drink’ at end of dayThe Tory MP Michael Fabricant has apologised for suggesting many teachers and nurses enjoyed a “quiet drink” at the end of the day in staff rooms during lockdown.In a letter published on the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) union’s website after outrage from the education sector over his comments, Fabricant said it was not his intention to cause offence or to demoralise, “and I apologise if I have genuinely done so”. Continue reading...

Caroline Nokes said Tories took too long to take action against Neil Parish after complaints were made earlier in week

Gross misconduct panel rules against PC Khafilat Kareem, who was told not to appear in reality TV showA Metropolitan police officer has been given a final written warning after appearing on the Nigerian version of Big Brother without permission.A misconduct hearing found that PC Khafilat Kareem had breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to “orders and instructions” and “discreditable conduct”, so a final written warning should be given after gross misconduct was proven. Continue reading...

The Northumberland village holds on to its title in a new Which? poll, fending off challenges from Llandudno and St AndrewsThe tiny village of Bamburgh in Northumberland, with its sweeping sandy beach overlooked by an imposing clifftop castle, has retained the title of Britain’s best seaside destination.The best beaches in the UK have been revealed in the annual survey from Which?, with the consumer watchdog surveying more than 4,300 visitors about recent trips to seaside towns, villages and resorts. Continue reading...

Parish rejects calls to immediately quit as MP and says he will cooperate with investigationThe senior Conservative MP under investigation for allegedly watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber has suggested he may have opened it accidentally but has rejected calls to stand down as an MP immediately.Neil Parish, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, had the whip suspended after becoming the fourth MP from his party since the last election to face claims of impropriety. Continue reading...

Health secretary says women will only be able to get three months of certain treatmentsWomen will be able to get only three months’ worth of certain hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products to improve general supply across the UK.The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has issued serious shortage protocols (SSPs) to limit the dispensing of Oestrogel, Ovestin cream and Premique Low Dose to three months’ supply per person to “even out” the distribution. Continue reading...

Prime minister announces a $10 cut to PBS scripts from next year in an attempt to tackle cost-of-living pressure, while Labor vows to hold a royal commission into the robodebt scandal. This blog is now closed

News of debate which will employ a panel of three journalists comes as Labor pledges robodebt royal commission and Coalition promises cheaper medicines

Marisha Wallace wants to inspire young girls and call out lack of diversity as she takes on role in Oklahoma!A professional career in theatre was not always on the cards for Marisha Wallace. The Broadway and West End star, who was born and raised on a pig farm in North Carolina, rarely saw people that looked like her on stage.As she takes on the coveted role of Ado Annie in the revival of Oklahoma! at London’s Young Vic theatre, Wallace is on a singular mission to call out the lack of plus-sized black actors on stage and to inspire young girls just like her. Continue reading...

Coates uses outgoing address to announce Australian Olympic Committee support for Ukrainian athletes to resettle in Australia