Bloc warns UK to ‘dial down rhetoric’ after historic Stormont election that put Sinn Féin top of polls

Shadow minister Pat Conroy says the Coalition’s cuts in aid to Indonesia were ‘shortsighted’

Analysis: It has already been a very wet autumn in eastern Australia, as weather event drives heavy rainfallIt has already been a very wet autumn in eastern Australia. Now further heavy rain will bring the potential for flooding in the north-east of the country over the next few days.La Niña has been the main driver behind the wet weather across Australia during what is autumn in the southern hemisphere. During a La Niña event, the sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are colder than normal, meaning that the usual easterly winds across the equator are strengthened. The result of this is that more moisture is fed into north-eastern parts of Australia in particular, with an increase in associated heavy rainfall events. Continue reading...

Clive Palmer walks back promise to preference incumbents last as part of concerted campaign against the two major parties

‘Ludicrous’ to suggest Labour leader is trying to avoid scrutiny over issue, says Wes StreetingThere is still no evidence Keir Starmer broke Covid rules with a beer and a takeaway meal during a campaign visit to Durham last year, a senior shadow minister has said, saying it was “ludicrous” to suggest the Labour leader was avoiding scrutiny over the issue.Starmer had been scheduled to attend an Institute for Government event on Monday but has pulled out. Wes Streeting, the shadow education secretary, said he did not know why the decision had been made. Continue reading...

Airline to cut capacity of Airbus A319 planes as it faces staff shortage amid Covid pandemicEasyJet plans to remove seats in some of its planes this summer as part of a strategy to cut the number of staff it needs.Employers across the economy have complained of difficulty recruiting staff at the salaries they are willing to pay, and airlines are struggling to meet the increased demand as international travel restarts in earnest after Covid-19 lockdowns. Continue reading...

Linda Reynolds says over 90% of appeals are settled early but advocates claim organisations are ‘overwhelmed’ by unprecedented demand

Australia’s rising inflation and interest rates could see more people begin to struggle with mortgage repayments, expert says

The Times says it tried to switch the word for as many users as possible, apparently in response to the supreme court’s draft Roe v Wade rulingThe New York Times has removed the word “fetus” from its Wordle answers to keep the game “distinct from the news”, a move apparently related to last week’s leaked Roe v Wade supreme court draft ruling.The change caused confusion as it was only implemented for some of the game’s players. Continue reading...

Serving SAS major, called as witness by Roberts-Smith, tells court two groups of colleagues raised concerns about awarding of medal, but did not allege war crimes

Exclusive: Arrangement has allowed bank to earn billions of pounds nearly tax-free for over 12 yearsBarclays has avoided nearly £2bn in tax via a lucrative arrangement in Luxembourg that allowed it to pay less than 1% on profits in the tax haven for more than a decade.A Guardian analysis of Barclays’ tax bills shows it is still benefiting from a controversial decision in 2009, in which it booked profits from the $15.2bn sale of a fund management business in Luxembourg rather than in the UK where it is headquartered. Continue reading...

Safety work in Great Musgrave decried as ‘cultural vandalism’ may have to be undone despite National Highways saying it was neededThe UK government’s roads agency is facing hundreds of objections a week to its decision to bury a Victorian bridge arch under concrete in a move widely condemned as “cultural vandalism”.National Highways (NH) was forced to apply for retrospective planning permission for a decision last May to pour 1,000 tonnes of concrete and aggregate under the arch of the bridge in Great Musgrave, Cumbria. Continue reading...

Andrea Wright, diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia, is now having a proper night’s sleepAndrea Wright, 39, from Bristol, was diagnosed in 2013 with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. She was in such severe constant pain, and unable to sleep for more than two continuous hours a night, that she was retired on ill health from her job at National Grid “at the grand old age of 33”.She says: “I had to stop work because the pain was too much. It’s been very depressing; I really enjoyed my job. I tried so many different therapies and managed to get my arthritis under control but for fibromyalgia, there isn’t anything, no magical pill.” Continue reading...

Education committee hears of students shunning eating and drinking throughout the day to avoid poor facilities

BaptistCare says pressures are hitting vulnerable residents as well as employees and pleads for action from whoever wins government

This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogAs international efforts to pressure the Russian leader continue, G7 leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Ukraine’s Zelenskiy, are set to discuss Western support for Kyiv via videoconference today.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host the call and Zelenskiy will “take part and report on the current situation,” government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said. Continue reading...

Meafua’s club Montauban is in shock after the player died after jumping into the river TarnA rugby club has been left in shock after Samoan back row forward Kelly Meafua died after jumping from a bridge into the river Tarn hours after playing in a French second division match.Meafua’s club Montauban confirmed the 32-year-old had not survived the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning despite the efforts of a teammate. Continue reading...

641,000 viewers tuned in to watch Scott Morrison spar with Anthony Albanese in event 2GB’s Ben Fordham described as ‘all over the shop’

On issues ranging from aged care to the Port of Darwin, we examine the claims and counter-claims of the PM and Labor leader

One in seven adults estimated to be food-insecure, up 57% from January, owing to rising cost of livingMore than 2 million adults in the UK have gone without food for a whole day over the past month because they cannot afford to eat, according to a survey revealing the “catastrophic” impact of the cost of living crisis.The latest survey of the nation’s food intake shows a 57% jump in the proportion of households cutting back on food or skipping meals over the first three months of this year, with one in seven adults (7.3 million) estimated to be food-insecure, up from 4.7 million in January. Continue reading...

Latest £1.7bn sanctions include UK import tariffs on metals and chemicals

Statement to mark 77th anniversary of end of second world war condemns ‘an attack on feeding the world’

Adam Wagner, a barrister specialising in lockdown rules, says document shows purpose of meal was political, not socialA barrister specialising in lockdown rules has said a leaked document showing Keir Starmer attended a prearranged meal in Durham during an election could be used to clear the Labour leader of allegations that he broke the law.The document, published by the Mail on Sunday, shows that an 80-minute dinner with the Labour MP Mary Foy, featuring a takeaway curry, was planned as part of his schedule. Continue reading...

Actor starred as bodyguard Terry McCann in Minder and tough cop George Carter in The SweeneyThe actor Dennis Waterman – who starred in the TV shows Minder, The Sweeney and New Tricks – has died at the age of 74.Waterman, best known for his role as the bodyguard Terry McCann in ITV’s Minder, had a showbiz career that spanned 60 years. Continue reading...

Khalid Baker, who spent 13 years in prison, is arguing an acquitted co-accused was responsible for man’s death at party

Heavy rain and thunderstorms pose flood risk for southern Queensland’s already saturated catchments

Fears grow that elevation of John Lee signals Beijing’s tough policy on Hong Kong is set to continueThe European Union has condemned the appointment of Hong Kong’s former security tsar, who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, as the Chinese territory’s new chief executive with 99% of the vote in a secret ballot on Sunday.Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, said the selection process that led to John Lee being elected is yet “another step in the dismantling of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle”. Continue reading...

Rescue attempts impossible due to constant shelling in Bilohorivka, says Luhansk governor

How Keir Starmer having a beer and a takeaway became potentially a resigning matter following Durham police’s decision to reopen its investigationThe Sun first published a picture of Keir Starmer drinking a beer with Labour workers in a party office in Durham on 30 April 2021 more than a year ago. Until recently, the story was a minor Tory attack jibe, but it is now potentially a resignation matter following Durham police’s decision to reopen its investigation into whether the Labour leader broke Covid lockdown rules. Continue reading...

Fears flagship bill will be left out of Queen’s speech despite promise to fight sexual harassment and pregnancy discriminationA coalition of campaigners has urged the UK government not to betray working women by ditching its promises to clamp down on sexual harassment and workplace pregnancy discrimination in its flagship employment bill.Before the Queen’s speech on Tuesday, campaigners are calling on the government to push forward with the bill, which was promised in 2019 and promoted as the way to protect UK workers after Britain left the EU. Continue reading...

The PM and Labor leader were questioned by a panel of journalists in the second head-to-head of the campaign. This blog is now closed

Women say they fear going out in public despite Taliban vow to respect hard-won rights after 2021 takeoverDespite everything that has happened to her country since the Taliban seized power last August, 29-year old Nafisa still never believed there would come a day when she would be unable to feel the sun on her face as she walked the streets of Kabul.Yet on Saturday, the Taliban’s sinisterly named ministry for the propagation of virtue ordered that Nafisa, along with millions of women across Afghanistan, should ideally not leave the house at all. If they do, they must be fully veiled and never show their faces in public. Continue reading...

Sex Education star will be first black actor to play role full-time when Russell T Davies returns to run show in 2023Ncuti Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker as the Time Lord in Doctor Who, the BBC has announced.The 29-year-old will become the 14th Doctor on the popular BBC show after Whittaker announced last July she would be leaving the role. Continue reading...

Raab warns stability in Northern Ireland is being ‘imperilled’ by dispute over protocol agreed by JohnsonThe UK government will take “whatever measures are necessary” to reform Northern Ireland’s Brexit protocol, the justice secretary, Dominic Raab, has pledged, amid fears the newly elected Stormont assembly could be put on pause until Christmas.In the wake of a resounding election victory for Sinn Féin, the DUP has said it cannot take up its position as deputy first minister until Brexit checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain are removed. Continue reading...

Bare torsos of two warrior statues are latest finds of ‘giants of Mont’e Prama’ dug up since 1970sThe torsos of two statues of boxers, dating back to the iron age, have been discovered at the Mont’e Prama necropolis in Sardinia.The latest finds, sculpted in limestone by the Nuragic civilisation, add to several other statues of boxers, wrestlers and archers dug up at the site since the 1970s and which have become known as “the giants of Mont’e Prama”. Continue reading...

Emmanuel and Emmanuella were reported missing from the garden of their home in Lambeth on SaturdaySix-year-old twins who were reported missing in south London have been found.The Metropolitan police said Emmanuel and Emmanuella were last seen playing in the front garden of their home in Cowley Road, Lambeth, on Saturday at 6pm. Continue reading...

Northern business chief says privatisation plan could be open to legal challengesGovernment plans to privatise Channel 4 are wide open to being challenged in court because they would undermine Boris Johnson’s commitment to “levelling up” the country, the head of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership has said.Henri Murison, director of the NPP, whose chair is former Tory chancellor George Osborne, said on Saturday two bills to be announced for the next session of parliament in this week’s Queen’s speech – one on the privatisation proposals, and another requiring that all government policies contribute to “levelling up” – were completely at loggerheads and “utterly incoherent”. Continue reading...

Drone attack at Snake Island results in apparent destruction of landing craft as counter-offensive in north gathers pace

Fifty-two-year-old used customary route up 8,850-metre mountain while leading 10 other climbersA Nepali sherpa has scaled Mount Everest for a record 26th time, breaking his own previous record set last year, a government official says.

Tanya Plibersek says party would look at introducing superannnuation on paid parental leave ‘when we can afford to’

Equipment will include anti-battery radar systems, plus GPS jamming and night-vision devicesAn extra £1.3bn in military support is to be handed to Ukraine by the UK, in a significant increase in support for the country as it continues to resist Russia’s illegal invasion.In a package that marks the UK’s highest rate of military spending since the end of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, the funding was revealed before a meeting of G7 leaders to discuss what additional help can be given to Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s forces. Boris Johnson is also due to meet arms companies to ask for an increase in production. Continue reading...

Emmanuel and Emmanuella were last seen about 6pm on Saturday at their home in LambethSix-year-old twins have been reported missing in south London.The Metropolitan police said Emmanuel and Emmanuella were last seen playing in the front garden of their home in Cowley Road, Lambeth at 6pm on Saturday. A relative went to check on them an hour later and found they were not there, Scotland Yard said. Continue reading...

Documents show gambling firms warned Treasury officials against tightening up industry lawsSome of Britain’s betting giants are revealed to have quietly lobbied Treasury officials against a proposed industry crackdown, claiming it will cost millions of pounds in lost tax receipts.Executives representing Bet365, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes met officials from the Treasury and Revenue and Customs, warning a radical overhaul of the industry could drive gamblers to the black market. The meeting was with tax officials rather than ministers and was therefore not required to be automatically disclosed. Continue reading...

Dr Adrian Cohen says league’s hesitation to choose Australian Sports Brain Bank shows it is overlooking its ‘specific expertise’

Anthony Bull cited the works of US terrorist David Lane and wrote ‘victory’ over Indigenous Australians should be celebrated

Leader Mary Lou McDonald raises issue of unification as nationalists become biggest party in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland has slipped into political crisis after Sinn Féin’s triumph in the assembly election triggered calls for a referendum on a united Ireland and the Democratic Unionist party vowed to block the formation of a new power-sharing executive at Stormont.Jubilant Sinn Féin supporters celebrated across the region on Saturday when final vote counts confirmed a historic victory that turned the former IRA mouthpiece into the biggest party, with the right to nominate the first minister. Continue reading...

Shadow cabinet reveal their frustration after elections as police

The Liberal Democrats and Labour enjoyed a surge in the polls that raised constitutional issues as well as weakening the PMOn Friday morning, as broadcasters, pollsters and political analysts tried to make sense of a mixed bag of early results from the previous day’s local elections, no one was quite clear who had performed the best. All the party leaders seemed happy enough and the political messages were blurred.Boris Johnson was said by people in Downing Street to be in a buoyant mood when he sat down at his desk at 8.15am, believing the heat was off him. He had told a meeting with his advisers the previous day that “we are going to get our arses kicked”. But while he could see his party had indeed taken a beating and was losing seats, it seemed that a Tory meltdown had been avoided, and that Labour was failing to win back support behind the red wall. Continue reading...

Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel says explosion at Hotel Saratoga appears to have been caused by a gas leakAt least 26 people have been killed and a further 74 have been treated in hospital after a powerful explosion tore the façade from a hotel in the Cuban capital, sending plumes of dust into the air and leaving rubble strewn across the street in the historic centre of Havana.Speaking at the scene soon afterwards, the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, ruled out a bomb and said the blast at the Hotel Saratoga appeared to have been caused by a gas leak. Continue reading...

Drunks, thieves, spies and hedgehogs are all in a night’s work for the men backing up city’s overstretched police force● Russia-Ukraine war: latest updatesThe call came around midnight. There was a suspicious man poking around a rundown complex of garages and workshops, police had heard a gunshot and so they wanted backup.The men of the Maidan group rolled out of the bodyshop that served as their headquarters, into a couple of vans with personalised Maidan numberplates and their own ambulance, and set off into the eerie quiet of curfew-hours Kyiv. Continue reading...