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Uncle Johnny Lovett’s father served in both world wars but never received land set aside for returned soldiers, Yoorrook commission hearsAn Indigenous musician has vowed to keep pursuing a multimillion-dollar land compensation claim after his father was left empty-handed for his service in two world wars.Uncle Johnny Lovett told Victoria’s Yoorrook Justice Commission on Thursday that his father and three uncles served in the military in both world wars. Continue reading...

Joshua Jacques of Hither Green in south-east London is charged with fatally stabbing four peopleA man has been charged with the murders of four family members who were stabbed to death in south-east London, the Metropolitan police have said.Joshua Jacques, 28, from Hither Green, is accused of killing Dolet Hill, 64, an NHS worker, and her partner, Denton Burke, 58, who were found stabbed after an incident in Delaford Road, Bermondsey, on Monday. Continue reading...

‘It’s not Boris on the ballot paper,’ activists campaigning for the local elections are having to tell votersBoris Johnson used to be king of the capital. As a politician who presented himself as metropolitan and socially liberal, he gifted the Conservatives their first control of London-wide government for 30 years by winning the mayoralty in 2008.But now the party is facing one of its toughest electoral tests in the city, and the prime minister risks insurrection from his own backbenchers if the Partygate investigations threaten to hit them at the ballot box too. Continue reading...

Former SAS soldier tells court he liked posts as ‘a bit of dark humour’ and it ‘shouldn’t be taken seriously’

The prime minister is keen on two debates next week on Seven and Nine while Labor has proposed a press club showdown just before polling day

Premier says it’s ‘grossly inappropriate’ to comment on reported allegations in Ibac draft report before final version tabled

Marise Payne says other members of the ‘Pacific family’ share concerns but she rejects claims her government ‘dropped the ball’ in the region

Investigation suggests Frontex’s database recorded incidents of illegal pushbacks in Aegean Sea as ‘prevention of departure’The EU’s border agency has been involved in the pushbacks of at least 957 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea between March 2020 and September 2021, according to a new investigation.Frontex, the EU’s best-funded agency with a budget of €758m, is being investigated over previous allegations of complicity with Greek authorities in illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers, something the organisation has denied. Continue reading...

Minister expected to frame move as a use of UK’s independent powers despite industry reports of unreadinessThe UK government is set to announce a fourth delay to physical checks on fresh food imported from the EU amid industry reports that neither technology nor infrastructure resources were ready for the July start of the next phase of Brexit.The Brexit opportunities minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, is expected to frame the move as use of the UK’s newfound independent powers to control the trade border since the departure from the EU and the single market. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogOn the issue of gas supplies to Poland, government figures yesterday were anxious to reassure the public in Poland that the country could cope if Russia cut off supplies.The Polish Press Agency last night was carrying the following quotes. Anna Moscow, head of the ministry of climate and environment, said:Poland has the necessary gas reserves and sources of supply that protect our security – we have been effectively independent of Russia for years. Our warehouses are 76% full. There will be gas in Polish homes.The Baltic Pipe gas pipeline will also be commissioned in a few months. The decision to build it was made by the PiS government and has been consistently implemented in recent years. This is another element of Poland’s energy security.The men detained on 21 and 22 April are suspected of espionage activities for the Russian secret services. The material collected by the military counterintelligence service (SKW) indicates that a Russian and a Belarusian, acting on behalf of the Russian intelligence against Poland, carried out activities aimed at identifying the functioning of the Polish Armed Forces, including the presence of the army in the Polish-Belarusian border zone. Continue reading...

The gunmen remain on the run after ‘incredibly brazen and callous murder’ in Greenacre on Wednesday night

Tamboran Resources, which was given $7.5m government grant, rejected multiple requests to give evidence to committee

Three men targeted home ‘due to the occupant’s political and ideological beliefs’, counter-terrorism police to tell court

Death of 59-year-old comes a year after three people were killed in crashes at event, prompting safety changes

Process for privatisation announced as part of sweeping changes to UK media landscapeMinisters will formally start the process of privatising Channel 4 on Thursday – despite widespread opposition from the British media industry, the broadcaster’s current management, and a large number of Conservative MPs.The government insists that the publicly owned channel needs to be sold off, but there are doubts over whether they have the political support required to pass the necessary legislation. Ministers will also finally publish the conclusions of a 60,000-strong public consultation on the sale, with most comments expected to be against privatisation.Regulating the content on streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, giving the public the ability complain about offensive or inaccurate programmes in the same way they can already complain about programmes on broadcast television. Failure to comply could result in a service being fined up to 5% of its revenue.Legally requiring television manufacturers to prominently feature British public service broadcasters on the homescreens of smart TVs.Relaxing the rules on how broadcasters can meet their public service obligations, enabling them to fulfil the requirements by putting shows on more obscure channels. Continue reading...

Female MPs complain about sexism and misogyny in Tory ranks in meeting on Tuesday nightThe Conservatives have been hit by yet another House of Commons sex scandal after a female minister reported seeing a male colleague watching porn on a mobile phone in parliament.A string of the party’s female MPs have complained to the whips about sexism and misogyny within its ranks in a heated meeting on Tuesday night. Continue reading...

Royal also urged to give up title of Duke of York at meeting following settlement of sexual assault casePrince Andrew has suffered another indignity after councillors in York unanimously voted to remove his honorary freedom of the city.An extraordinary meeting of York city council on Wednesday also heard councillors call on Andrew to relinquish his Duke of York title in the wake of his now settled sexual assault civil case. Continue reading...

Anglicare’s annual snapshot calls for 50% rise in rent assistance payments, more social housing and changes to tax system

Former attorney general refused to refer cases to WA court of appeal, despite an earlier ruling finding a miscarriage of justice in a similar case

Kristina Keneally says home affairs minister must clarify comments or brief Labor on intelligence reporting of foreign interference

Conservative lawmakers question whether government has Commons votes to sell broadcasterConservative MPs have queued up to criticise plans to privatise Channel 4, raising doubts over whether the government has the parliamentary support required to sell the channel.Sir Peter Bottomley, the father of the house, told the House of Commons on Wednesday: “Channel 4 is in the best state it’s been creatively and financially for decades.” Continue reading...

Ukrainian army driven out of Velyka Komyshuvakha and Zavody, while concern grows over Transnistria

UK offices of companies owned by industrialist targeted as part of money laundering inquiryInvestigators from the Serious Fraud Office have seized documents and questioned executives at the British offices of companies owned by the industrialist Sanjeev Gupta, in a sign of deepening legal difficulties for GFG Alliance, his metals and energy group.The fraud agency attended several addresses in England, Scotland and Wales on Wednesday as part of the investigations, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said. Continue reading...

Tim Davie suggests more stations could become archive services, as he prepares to announce deep cutsThe BBC will cut the number of programmes it makes and consider turning more television and radio stations into archive services, according to the corporation’s director general.Tim Davie is preparing to announce deep cuts to BBC output in the coming weeks, with staff nervously wondering whether their programmes or channels will be axed. The corporation estimates it needs to find another £285m in annual savings as a result of government-imposed cuts to its budget. Continue reading...

Party criticised for appointing MP – now a convicted sex offender – as adviser on child exploitationA survivor of the Rotherham child abuse grooming scandal has condemned the Conservatives for appointing an MP who is now a convicted sex offender as an adviser on child exploitation after being questioned under caution.Sammy Woodhouse said it was “gut-wrenching” that her fellow contributor to a Home Office expert panel, Imran Ahmad Khan, had already been questioned by police about the assault of a 15-year-old boy when they served together on a Home Office panel. Continue reading...

Russia halts gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria; Volodymyr Zelenskiy accuses Moscow of seeking to destabilise Moldova region

DJ has stepped down from Capital Xtra show until further notice, says station’s owner, Global RadioThe DJ Tim Westwood has “stepped down from his show” on Capital Xtra until further notice, following allegations of sexual misconduct made about him by multiple women.The day after the former BBC Radio 1 DJ was accused by seven women of misusing his position in the music industry to take advantage of them, a spokesperson for Global Radio, Capital Xtra’s parent company, said the station and the DJ were parting ways. Continue reading...

Anti-Slapp directive would also enable EU states to refuse to recognise judgments passed in UKThe EU executive has proposed measures to protect journalists and campaigners working to expose corruption and wrongdoing from vexatious lawsuits.In the first proposal of its kind in Europe, the European Commission is targeting so-called “strategic lawsuits against public participation”, or Slapps, where wealthy individuals and companies attempt to use the law to intimidate or silence investigative reporters and non-governmental organisations. Continue reading...

Female Tory MPs complain about sexism in parliament after claims a senior colleague was watching porn on his phone

CBI’s April figures show worst cost of living squeeze since 1950s is starting to affect consumer spendingRetail sales in the UK have slumped in April as hard-pressed households reined in their spending amid the soaring cost of living, according to an industry snapshot.The figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) found retailers experienced a rapid decline in sales volumes, in a month when consumers faced soaring gas and electricity bills, record fuel prices and a sharp increase in the cost of the weekly shop. Continue reading...

Charity Freedom from Torture says it has ‘serious concerns’ about lawfulness of policyPriti Patel’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is facing its first legal challenge after a charity instructed lawyers to demand the disclosure of documents because of fears the policy is contrary to international law.In a pre-action letter to the Home Office, which is expected to lead to a judicial review claim, the solicitors Leigh Day stated that the charity Freedom from Torture “has serious concerns about the lawfulness of the policy”. Continue reading...

Proceeds of sale of rarely seen art works by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne to go to Musée d’OrsayA private collection of rarely seen sculptures by the French artists Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne is to go on sale to pay for an extension to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.Daniel Marchesseau, a close friend of the sculptors for 50 years, agreed to part with the works as part of a €5m (£4.2m) gift to create an annexe for the archiving and research of 19th-century art. Continue reading...

Family of the 19-year-old, who died in 2017, say her mental and physical health declined after she reported being rapedThe family of Dorset teenager Gaia Pope has told an inquest jury that her mental and physical health deteriorated and she became “lost in fear and self-doubt” after she reported she had been raped at the age of 16.Relatives revealed the “joyful” girl they knew slipped away at times after she told police about the alleged rape, which led to an investigation but no charge. Continue reading...

‘Rolling Thunder’ rally’s organizer denies event is a protest but prominent anti-vaccine figure is advertised as a ‘special guest’Ottawa’s police chief has vowed to stop an upcoming biker rally from reaching the city’s downtown core as residents brace for a potential rerun of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” anti-government protests that paralyzed the Canadian capital earlier in the year.Thousands of bikers are expected to arrive in Ottawa on Friday for the “Rolling Thunder” rally purportedly called in honour of military veterans. Continue reading...

Labour deputy says comments are ‘mortifying and hurtful’, as Mail on Sunday rebuffs Speaker’s request to meet

Bank warns of more loan defaults amid cost of living crisis as it reports 14% fall in first-quarter pre-tax profitLloyds Banking Group has raised concerns over the UK economy’s “uncertain” outlook, warning the cost of living crisis had already forced customers to cut spending on services such as streaming and gyms and could mean more defaults on its loans.Lloyds, the country’s largest mortgage lender and considered a bellwether for the UK economy, said that while it did not have direct exposure to Russia, the war in Ukraine was affecting customers through higher energy and commodity prices, as well as supply chain disruption. Continue reading...

Independent reviewer of terror laws says staffing cuts in England and Wales jails have exacerbated problemSome terrorists in prison enjoy status and celebrity among their fellow inmates amid a culture of fear and violence in jails in England and Wales that is being exacerbated by staffing cuts, an official review has concluded.Jonathan Hall QC, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, found that a pecking order of terror offenders can develop, based on the notoriety or charm of an extremist prisoner that means they may be held in high esteem by fellow inmates. Continue reading...

Witness charged with obstructing, hindering and resisting a commonwealth official

Queensland premier describes former AWU boss as ‘one of Australia’s greatest union leaders’Former union official and Labor powerbroker Bill Ludwig OAM has died aged 87.Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the passing of the Labor heavyweight on social media. Continue reading...

Two resign citing UK ministers’ failure to repeal hostile environment legislationTwo members of the Windrush cross-government working group have resigned, citing unhappiness with ministers’ response to the Windrush scandal.Bishop Joe Aldred, and Arike Oke, who represented the Black Cultural Archives (BCA), informed the government last year that they were leaving the group. The Home Office has only this month published the new, smaller membership list, revealing it has shrunk from nine to seven people. Continue reading...

With talk of a bidding war between Sydney and Brisbane, former Maroons skipper suggests MCG host the season decider

This blog has now closed. You can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in our new live blogDetails are scant, but there are reports that the ministry of internal affairs in Transnistria says that two radio antenna that relayed Russian radio have been destroyed in Transnistria, the breakaway eastern region of Moldova.Reuters quotes the ministry saying: “In the early morning of 26 April, two explosions occurred in the village of Maiac, Grigoriopol district: the first at 6.40 and the second at 7.05” Continue reading...

The Empress by Tanika Gupta among new additions in attempt to diversify AQA’s offering for drama students in EnglandDrama students will have the opportunity to study a more diverse curriculum at GCSE and A-level with the addition of four new plays by writers of colour.AQA, the biggest examination board in England, says the texts are part of a range of measures to update and revise its qualifications to ensure they better reflect the diversity of students and their teachers. Continue reading...

Planned new guidelines say online posts could be scrutinised by the General Medical CouncilDoctors who share “misleading” information on social media could face regulatory action, according to planned new guidelines.Posts made on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are among those that could be scrutinised by the General Medical Council (GMC) if a doctor is reported. Continue reading...

Aerial artist spectacle is planned alongside singers including Cliff Richard and Shirley BasseyThe fox puppet Basil Brush and singers Ed Sheeran and Sir Cliff Richard are among “national treasures” to feature in the platinum jubilee People’s Pageant carnival finale involving more than 10,000 people during the June bank holiday, organisers said.Against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace on Sunday 5 June, highlights will include puppet corgis and a giant 3D bust of the Queen, with television audiences across the globe expected to run into hundreds of millions. Continue reading...

Santa Fe sheriff releases files on death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on film set last OctoberNewly released footage shows the actor Alec Baldwin repeatedly practising drawing his revolver on the set of Rust on the same day a live round was discharged from the gun that killed the film’s cinematographer and injured its director.Other footage includes the chaotic scenes shortly after the shooting, with officers trying to secure the scene – a church – after first treating the injured. Continue reading...

President calls meeting amid fears Transnistria – controlled by pro-Russia separatists – could be drawn into Ukraine war

Airlines cancel flights amid higher fuel costs, Ukraine war and expected fourth pandemic waveHeathrow airport has warned it expects a drop-off in passenger numbers after a summer surge, with airlines already cancelling services into the autumn amid higher fuel costs, war in Ukraine and an expected fourth Covid wave.The airport’s total pandemic losses have topped £4bn, but passenger numbers have started to recover after the UK government lifted travel restrictions. Heathrow said 9.7 million passengers passed through the airport in the first three months of the year, 8 million more than a year earlier, with many heading to destinations in North America and Europe. Continue reading...

UK minister says Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil that hit supplies and disrupt logistics are ‘completely legitimate’

Charges related to incidents in 2015 and 2016 in which Buswell assaulted Melissa Hankinson multiple times