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Experts say 400-year-old work is likely collaboration between Dutch master Willem Claesz Heda and his sonA 400-year-old “one in a million” Dutch painting worth up to $5m has been found at a property in the New South Wales Blue Mountains.Called Still Life, the work was recently located at the National Trust of Australia-managed Woodford Academy during a restoration project. Continue reading...

A pill linked to physical malformations, autism and developmental delay in children is still being prescribed to pregnant womenA anti-epilepsy drug, which causes health problems for babies when taken by pregnant women, is still being given to patients without safety warnings, it was reported.Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for an “immediate fix” concerning sodium valproate, which has been linked to physical malformations, autism and developmental delay in many children when taken by their mothers during pregnancy. Continue reading...

Merseyside police appealing for information about assault in afternoon in busy part of the cityAn 18-year-old man has died after emergency services were called to an internet cafe in Liverpool after a report that a teenager had been assaulted.Merseyside police have launched a murder investigation after the incident in the city centre on Saturday evening. Continue reading...

Bernie Maloney has become a kind of neighbourhood celebrity, even inspiring a civil disobedience campaign to stop forced evictions

Tory MPs say fines for Johnson and Sunak over lockdown gatherings have led usually loyal supporters to express concernSenior Tories have warned that traditional supporters are abandoning them after Boris Johnson’s Partygate fine, as another MP broke cover to say the prime minister should be removed over his conduct.Conservative MPs across the country said on Saturday they believed many people who had backed the party before were now raising concerns, with Downing Street braced for further fixed-penalty notices relating to parties in the coming days. Continue reading...

Nathan Fleetwood, 21, was last seen on the night of 27 March in Shrewsbury town centreA body has been recovered from a river during the search for a 21-year-old man who has been missing for 19 days.Nathan Fleetwood went missing after a night out in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. On the night of his disappearance, 27 March, he was sighted in Shrewsbury town centre at about 2.30am. He was last seen on Kingsland Bridge. Continue reading...

Sector faces ‘devastation’ by Brexit red tape and from pandemicLanguage schools for foreign students are being “devastated” by a combination of post-Brexit red tape and the impact of the pandemic, threatening the future of a £3.2bn industry, tourism leaders have warned.A report by the Tourism Alliance said even though the government had ended Covid travel measures, ministers had imposed unnecessary restrictions on children from France, Germany and other EU nations. Continue reading...

Rights groups call for united front against far-right candidate as polls predict a win for centrist Emmanuel MacronProtests were expected around France on Saturday as opponents of the far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen seek to form a united front to prevent her from winning an election runoff against incumbent Emmanuel Macron on 24 April.Police warned of possible incidents as demonstrators convened in 30 cities. Continue reading...

After experiencing the hottest day of the year on Friday, most parts will be sunny before a wetter MondayThe UK is set for warm weather ahead of Easter Sunday after experiencing the hottest day of the year so far.The mercury hit 23.4C (74.1F) in St James’s Park in central London on Good Friday afternoon, the Met Office said, making it hotter than California. Continue reading...

Only Briton to hold role was also president of National Farmers’ Union from 1970 to 1979 and an MEPHenry Plumb, the only British president of the European parliament, has died aged 97.The former Tory politician was president of the National Farmers’ Union from 1970 to 1979 and was elected an MEP for the Cotswolds in 1979. He remained a member of the European parliament until 1999 and served as its president from 1987 until 1989. Continue reading...

Woman, 32, left with injuries to her face after incident on Dixon Street in HaymarketPolice believe a suspected acid attack in Sydney overnight that left a woman in hospital with injuries to her face and some emergency services personnel requiring first aid was a “targeted attack”.Police were told the woman, 32, was standing on Dixon Street in Haymarket when a black hatchback pulled up in front of her. Continue reading...

Kim Jong-un is expected to display advanced weapons at military parade later this month and escalate missile testingThousands of North Koreans marched in a choreographed display of loyalty to the ruling Kim family during a massive civilian parade celebrating the birthday of the country’s founder attended by his grandson and current leader, Kim Jong-un.State media images showed Kim waving from a balcony overlooking the vast square in Pyongyang named after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, as huge columns of people carrying red plastic flowers and floats with political slogans marched below. Continue reading...

Kinetigraph sends data to doctors so that physiotherapy and prescriptions can be adjusted to meet needsThousands of people with Parkinson’s disease will be given smartwatches by NHS England so they can be treated effectively from home.The Parkinson’s Kinetigraph contains sensors that monitor the wearer’s activity, and buzzes to remind them to take medication. Continue reading...

Survey confirms culture of sexual harassment in classrooms amid influence of ‘incel’ movementTeachers have raised concerns about the influence of “incel” subculture on teenage boys, as a survey revealed that seven in 10 female teachers have been victims of misogyny in school.The poll by the NASUWT teachers’ union confirmed a significant culture of sexual harassment and misogyny in classrooms, with almost 60% of those who participated saying they had experienced misogyny from pupils. Continue reading...

Rappers and singers from local area discuss feelings of loss and hope on track marking anniversaryFive years on from the Grenfell fire, the focus needs to shift back to the young people directly affected by the tragedy, according to those behind a new charity single that features cameos from Top Boy’s Ashley Walters and AJ Tracey.West Side Story, which will be released on 6 May, has been produced by Toddla T and features rappers and singers from the areas surrounding the tower, who discuss their feelings of loss, grief and hope as the fifth anniversary approaches. Continue reading...

Analysis: Plenty of high-profile candidates are chasing rightwing votes, but only one will likely get a Senate seat

Qantas apologises as passengers told they could be without bags for days

Analysis: Like clockwork, an announcement is made to revive the ‘zombie’ toll road projectAlmost seven years after Victoria’s Labor government scrapped a billion-dollar contract to construct the East West Link, the project – once dubbed a “zombie” by the state’s treasurer – refuses to die.The federal Coalition has previously pushed the case for the project. But this time, it was the state opposition reviving it by announcing it would build the underground tunnel to connect Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway to CityLink if was elected at the November election. Continue reading...

On a per-voter basis, Coalition-held seats of Bass in Tasmania and Canning in WA given biggest spending commitments so far

Ten years after settling case against News of the World, actor now taking action against another Rupert Murdoch titleHugh Grant is leading a renewed attempt to prove phone hacking took place at the Sun, even as Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper continues to maintain no illegality took place there.The actor has followed Paul Gascoigne and Sienna Miller in bringing a so-called “Sun-only” phone-hacking claim, specifically alleging that illegality took place at the daily tabloid in the 2000s. Rebekah Brooks, the current chief executive of Murdoch’s News UK business, was editor of the Sun during the period in question. Continue reading...

Kremlin yet to release details of possible casualties on Black Sea flagship, as Ukrainians hail its demise

Analysis: ship’s sinking will shock Russian public and is latest sign war in Ukraine will not end soon

In run-up to the presidential vote, French premier calls for EU-wide ceiling after head of carmaker Stellantis receives €19mEmmanuel Macron will push for a cap on excessive executive pay should he be re-elected president after he described as “shocking and excessive” the €19m (£15.7m) pay packet handed to the head of carmaker Stellantis.Macron, who is campaigning in the run-up to the final vote for the French presidency on 24 April against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, told France Info radio that he was in favour of an EU-wide ceiling for top executives’ pay. Continue reading...

Dozens of services to and from London cancelled, and strike action hits TransPennine Express routesRail passengers face a “disastrous weekend” of travel disruption as engineering works and strikes hamper one of the busiest Easter getaways in years.Dozens of services to and from London have been cancelled as Network Rail carries out 530 engineering projects across the bank holiday weekend. Continue reading...

First vehicle bought after fundraising effort backed by TV host heads to war-torn country next week

Palestine Red Crescent says people injured by rubber bullets, Israeli police batons and stun grenades at al-Aqsa mosqueMedics say more than 150 Palestinians have been injured in clashes that erupted when Israeli riot police entered Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound, in the most significant violence at the holy site since similar scenes sparked a war last year.Most of the Palestinian injuries on Friday were incurred by rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said. Continue reading...

Billionaire follows Camelot in high court bids to overturn decision to let Czech firm Allwyn run drawCompanies owned by the billionaire Richard Desmond have launched legal action against the UK’s gambling regulator’s decision to grant Czech-owned Allwyn the licence to run the National Lottery.Desmond’s Northern & Shell and a subsidiary, the New Lottery Company, have taken legal action against the Gambling Commission, according to a high court filing dated 13 April – becoming the third party to challenge the award. Continue reading...

Medical watchdog notified of cases of severe acute hepatitis after six children underwent liver transplantsThe World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring growing cases of hepatitis in children across the UK after six had to undergo liver transplants.The medical watchdog was told about 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis in children in Scotland on 5 April. Three days later, it was notified of a further 74 cases in the rest of the UK. More cases are likely to be reported in the coming days. Continue reading...

Analysis: To turn stolidly non-aligned Finland and Sweden into members would join pantheon of great strategic blundersIt is conceivable that by the end of the year Nato’s land mass, GDP and territorial borders with Russia may expand by nearly as much as they would have if Ukraine had achieved its distant goal of eventual membership of the western defence alliance – if not more.The brutal manner in which Vladimir Putin has tried to foreclose Ukraine’s security options has led to a sudden change in thinking in Finland and Sweden that has been all the more powerful since it seems to have come from below, as opposed to from the political elites. Continue reading...

Analysis: with PM in trouble, Conservatives fear his potential successors do not measure upBoris Johnson has suffered undeniable political harm in becoming the first serving prime minister fined for breaking the law, and things could get worse if he is punished for other lockdown-breaking parties. But, at least so far, there is little appetite for ousting him. Tory MPs cite the Ukraine war, and perhaps more critically the lack of a credible alternative. Here are Johnson’s potential rivals – and why Conservatives fear they do not measure up. Continue reading...

Attempts by Moscow to pay creditors in roubles as a result of being cut off from foreign currency reserves could breach loan termsRussia’s switch to making debt payments in roubles has brought the heavily sanctioned country to the brink of defaulting on its debts, according to a leading credit rating agency.Heaping further pressure on Vladimir Putin’s beleaguered government, Moody’s said that without a return before 4 May to making payments in dollars as agreed under the terms of Russia’s loans, Moscow could be in default, allowing creditors to claim insurance payouts and tainting the country’s reputation as a reliable counterparty. Continue reading...

Royal observers say get-together was ‘welcome if long overdue move’ by couple after UK exit two years agoAfter the high drama of their royal exit, it was a low-key reunion behind the walls of Windsor Castle for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with the Queen on Thursday.Prince Harry and Meghan may not have announced their visit in advance, the first by the duchess to Europe in the two years since the couple left the UK in March 2020 and unshackled themselves from formal royal life. But this would have been classed as a family occasion, “like all private get-togethers”, and not an official engagement, so would not have been announced in advance, according to Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine. Continue reading...

Aiden Aslin’s mother says Ukraine fighter should be treated as prisoner of war after images show him injured

The war in Ukraine has prompted an exodus of Russian ‘diplomats’. Does it mark the end of an era?Russia-Ukraine war: latest updatesThe unprecedented wave of expulsions of Russian diplomats from European capitals – now close to 400 – is not just a symbolic, if reversible, act of revulsion at the war crimes for which Russia stands accused. It is part of a decades long battle to police the dividing line between espionage and diplomacy, one in which the west of late has been accused of too often ignoring a resurgence in Russia’s clandestine activities, either because of an excessive focus on domestic terrorism, or excessive reliance on intercepts.Sir John Sawers, the former head of M16, last year said he suspected the west was picking up only 10% of Russia’s espionage. Continue reading...

More than 1,000 items owned by Jeremy Bulloch up for sale next month, with part of proceeds going to Parkinson’s UK charityHe was only on screen for a matter of minutes but the character he brought to life – the Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett – achieved cult status.From May the 4th – a nod to the franchise’s saying “May the force be with you” – fans will be able to bid for memorabilia collected by Jeremy Bulloch, the late British actor who played the character in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Continue reading...

Mike Haines says guilt of El Shafee Elsheikh in a US trial provides ‘some closure’ for death of David HainesThe brother of a British aid worker killed by an Islamic State cell known as “the Beatles” said the conviction of one of their members had closed “an eight-year chapter of pain” for his family.Mike Haines, whose brother David Haines was captured by militants in Syria in March 2013, welcomed the conviction of El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, in a US court, saying it had “provided us with some closure”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Disgraced former MP hit by fresh allegations after conviction for sexual assault of 15-year-old

Australian Electoral Commission examining Facebook page linked to Lloyd that promoted candidates who oppose vaccine mandates

Rebecca Lloyd reportedly ditched from One Nation because she refused to work with party leaders; airport staff shortages cause baggage issues; more aged care deaths in 2022 than first two pandemic years combined; campaign trail ‘truce’ for Easter weekend; NSW records 16 Covid deaths, Victoria records seven deaths; Queensland records two deaths; first election debate confirmed for 20 April. This blog is now closed

Scuffles follow complaints of food shortages and over-zealous officials forcing people into quarantineVideos posted on social media have showed residents of Shanghai scuffling with hazmat-suited police who were ordering them to surrender their homes to Covid-19 patients, providing a rare glimpse into rising discontent in the megacity over China’s inflexible virus response.Shanghai, a city of 25 million and China’s economic engine room, has become the heart of the country’s biggest outbreak since the peak of the first virus wave in Wuhan over two years ago, rattling the country’s adherence to a strict zero-Covid policy. Continue reading...

After a two-year pause, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd will be headlining at a festival with no Covid-19 restrictionsHarry Styles, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd are headed to Coachella this weekend for the first edition of the mega-festival in three years.The California-based festival, which takes place over two weekends, is expected to draw more than 125,000 people a day. In February, the festival announced that there would be no rules regarding mask-wearing, testing and vaccination proof “in accordance with local guidelines”. Continue reading...

Analysis: with more than 6 million people in need, there is anger at perceived lack of action from the government and the UNThe UN this week issued a stark warning on Somalia, projecting that 350,000 children could starve to death without urgent action.The country is in the middle of a drought that is already killing people. Some regions in the Horn of Africa are the hottest they have been since satellites started recording data 40 years ago, according to an analysis by the World Food Programme. Continue reading...

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Most broadcasts fail to attract more than 100,000 viewers, according to official ratingsWhen BBC Three relaunched as a live television channel earlier this year, the corporation hoped its counterintuitive punt on a youth-focused broadcast outlet would help it reach new audiences. Instead, the channel’s shows are consistently being beaten in the ratings by repeats of old history programmes featuring the deceased steeplejack Fred Dibnah on BBC Four.Most of BBC Three’s programmes have so far failed to attract more than 100,000 viewers on live television, according to official viewing figures, while some shows are lucky to get a tenth of that. Even the programmes that do perform relatively well – such as episodes of MasterChef Australia – are rarely the original distinctive in-house shows that the channel exists to provide. Continue reading...

The combination of BA.2 and BA.1 is thought to be highly contagious and comes as mandatory negative Covid tests for travellers to Australia is scrapped

Playhouse to stage Beyond Belief in 2023 to ‘say a proper goodbye’ to late SDLP leader who helped persuade IRA to give up armsA musical drama about the life of John Hume, one of the main forces behind the Good Friday agreement, will be staged next year to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic deal that helped end 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.Beyond Belief, written by Damian Gorman with music by Brian O’Doherty, is the second part of a “peace-building trilogy” at the Playhouse in Hume’s home town, Derry, after The White Handkerchief, a play about the events of Bloody Sunday, earlier this year. Continue reading...

Liberal candidate for McMahon Vivek Singha blamed Narendra Modi for sowing division at a time Australia was courting closer relations with India

As anti-Covid restrictions ease, many immunocompromised people feel theatres and concerts are now too risky. Are mask-only performances the answer?

Analysis: Tories keen to shore up support with tough immigration policy but there are concerns about the detailWhen Boris Johnson’s position was at its most precarious two months ago, he had to convince Conservative MPs sticking by his side was worth it.A plan was devised – dubbed “Operation Red Meat” – to give those losing faith in his administration some belief that there was a higher purpose than just defending their leader through scandal after scandal. Continue reading...

Lithuania plays down threat, claiming Russians already have such weapons in Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad