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Makers of Tower Block of Commons deny paying actors to play real people from deprived communitiesNadine Dorries’ claim that a Channel 4 reality show she appeared on used paid actors is “unfounded”, according to the production company that made the show.The culture secretary told parliament on Thursday that she believes the 2010 show ‘Tower Block of Commons’, in which she was one of a number of MPs who went to live in deprived communities, used paid actors to play supposedly real people. Continue reading...

New powers handed to permanent secretary Samantha Jones after Gray report found ‘failures of leadership’

Tank commander Vadim Shysimarin, 21, tells court he was ‘nervous’ and ‘didn’t want to kill’ unarmed civilian

Star Wars craft was secretly put together in a hangar in Pembroke Dock amid ‘flying saucer’ rumoursIt is perhaps the most recognisable and beloved spaceship in movie history – a battered old warrior of a vessel that got Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and the rest of the Star Wars crew out of – and into – a string of sci-fi scrapes.What is not so well known is that the Millennium Falcon, or at least a full-size model of it, was the last major craft to be built at a dockyard in south-west Wales. Continue reading...

Ad agency agrees deal after rejecting four offers by deputy chair Vin Murria’s investment vehicleDigital marketing group Next Fifteen has struck a £310m deal to buy M&C Saatchi, gazumping tech entrepreneur Vin Murria’s attempt to buy the ad agency.London-listed Next Fifteen, which has a £1.2bn market valuation, has tabled a cash and share offer for M&C Saatchi that it aims to seal through a scheme of arrangement. Continue reading...

Failures in triple-zero system blamed for 18 of the deaths, Ambulance Victoria chief tells budget estimates hearing

Stanley in Falkland Islands also becomes city after contest marking Queen’s platinum jubilee yearDoncaster, Milton Keynes and Stanley in the Falkland Islands have been awarded city status, approved by the Queen, in a competition being held as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations, the Cabinet Office has announced.The eight winners of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours competition, also included Bangor in Northern Ireland, Colchester in England, Douglas on the Isle of Man, Dunfermline in Scotland and Wrexham in Wales.Bangor (pop 61,000) in Northern Ireland was a key site for allied forces during the second world war, with supreme commander Dwight D Eisenhower giving a speech to 30,000 assembled troops there shortly before ships left for Normandy and the D-day invasion. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Bangor Castle in 1961 before lunch at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club in the run-up to Prince Philip racing in the regatta. Previously, Edward VII had visited in 1903.Colchester (pop 122,000) is Britain’s first recorded settlement and its first capital, and for the past 165 years has been a garrison town. Firstsite, its contemporary art gallery, was named Art Fund museum of the year in 2021.Doncaster (population 110,000) highlighted that its “community spirit and resilience was demonstrated during the Doncaster floods in 2019 as the community rallied to provide relief”. Originally a Roman settlement, it is home to the St Leger, founded in 1776 and the oldest classic horse race in the world, regularly attended by royals since George IV. It has made three previous attempts for city status.Douglas (pop 27,000) has links to the royal family through the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which originated there, with George IV as first patron, and the Queen patron today. Its cultural highlights include the annual Manx Music Festival, dating from 1892, and the Isle of Man Film Festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.Dunfermline’s (pop 56,000) most famous son is probably Andrew Carnegie, whose steel and industry helped build the US, and whose philanthropy started the world’s public library system, according to Dunfermline’s bid. Its royal links stretch back to the reign of Malcolm III, king of Scotland from 1058-1093, when he set up his court there.Milton Keynes (pop 223,000), a new town started in the Queen’s reign, is described in its bid as “the pinnacle of the national postwar planning movement”. Today it has 27 conservation areas, 50 scheduled monuments, 1,100 listed building and 270 pieces of public art.Stanley, in the Falklands, (pop 2,100) has been regularly visited by members of the royal family, including Prince William, who spent six weeks based there as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. This year marks 40 years since the Falklands conflict.Wrexham (pop 42,500) boasts the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a Unesco world heritage site described as a “masterpiece of creative genius”. It is also home to Wrexham Football Club, established in 1864 and said to be the third oldest in the UK and with the world’s oldest international ground. In the past decade, Wrexham has become one of the fastest-growing retail centres in the UK. Continue reading...

Anyone who tested positive after 6pm last Friday will be eligible to use phone service after independent candidate threatens legal action over issue

Weather bureau says wettest conditions expected for voters in Queensland but mostly fine weather likely in other capitals

Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people will have say on future of mines on native title area, two years after heritage site was blown up

Aboriginal heritage council says it will need to raise $1m to secure bid for two works by artist William Barak at Sotheby’s auction

Voting in three seats likely to be impacted by response to opening of second runway at Brisbane airport

This blog has now closed. Please join us again in a few hours when we will launch a new live blogThe UK’s ministry of defence has issued its daily public intelligence briefing on the situation with Russia and Ukraine, and this morning it is concentrating on the situation within Russia’s military. The ministry claims that Lieutenant General Serhiy Kisel has been suspended for failing to capture Kharkiv and Vice Admiral Igor Osipov has been suspended from commanding the Black Sea Fleet. It says:A culture of cover-ups and scapegoating is probably prevalent within the Russian military and security system. Many officials involved in the invasion of Ukraine will likely be increasingly distracted by efforts to avoid personal culpability for Russia’s operational set-backs. Continue reading...

Story made public after an attempt by the attorney general to gain an injunction to prevent broadcastAn agent working for MI5 with a background in rightwing extremism abused his former partner and used his connection with the domestic intelligence agency to threaten her further, according to an investigation by the BBC.The man – known only as X for legal reasons – is said to have terrorised the woman and at one point attacked her with a machete and threatened to kill her, as shown in a video captured on her mobile phone. “There was so much psychological terror from him to me, that ultimately culminated in me having a breakdown,” the woman said. Continue reading...

UK online shopping group runs beauty and nutrition sites and could be target of Candy VenturesProperty tycoon Nick Candy is considering making an offer to buy the £1.4bn online shopping group THG, formerly known as The Hut Group, which recently said it had rejected numerous “unacceptable” takeover approaches that undervalue the company.Candy, a donor to the Conservative party with a fortune estimated at £1.5bn who is married to former Neighbours actor Holly Vallance, now has until 16 June to make a formal bid or walk away under UK takeover rules. Continue reading...

The pop star reportedly gave birth to a baby boy on 13 May in Los AngelesMulti-hyphenate pop star Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky have welcomed their first child, according to a TMZ report. The baby boy was reportedly born on 13 May in Los Angeles. No name was given.The couple, together since early 2020, first announced their pregnancy with a heavily photographed stroll through A$AP Rocky’s home town of New York in January. The fashion mogul and Fenty beauty founder has since made headlines for her trend-setting maternity style of sheer lace, crop tops and belly-baring outfits. Continue reading...

The countries’ leaders meet the US president at the White House as they seek a resolution with TurkeyThe US president, Joe Biden, has welcomed the Finnish and Swedish leaders to the White House promising full support for their membership applications to what he called a “revived Nato” in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.In their remarks in the Rose Garden, the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, and the Swedish prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, addressed the only major barrier to their countries’ accession to the alliance: the objections of the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who restated on Thursday his resolve to veto their membership. Continue reading...

Cautionary tales as a Gloucester couple celebrate their record-breaking £184m winThe sweetness of winning millions on the lottery can quickly turn sour. The trick is knowing how to spend it, according to some cautionary tales of previous winners.It does not always end badly, but there have been plenty of stories about the “curse of the lottery”, featuring drug addiction, destitution and prison. Here’s what happened to four previous winners. Continue reading...

The closure of Met’s investigation with PM facing no further fines leaves many unanswered questionsScotland Yard announced on Thursday that it has concluded its Partygate inquiry. We look at what the police said, the unanswered questions and the dangers faced by Britain’s embattled biggest force.What has the Metropolitan police announced? Continue reading...

Injured soldiers being treated in hospital while 900 are held in former prison colony, according to Moscow

Russia says weapon destroyed drone in five seconds in a test, but there is scepticism that it could be used in warRussia’s promise to use lasers to shoot down drones in Ukraine has prompted widespread scepticism that the novel and possibly nuclear-powered weaponry could be deployed on the battlefield or have any significant impact on the war.Yuri Borisov, Russia’s deputy prime minister, told the country’s Channel One television that the new Zadira directed energy weapon could destroy targets up to 5km away, and had incinerated a drone in five seconds in a test. Continue reading...

Cody Ackland sentenced to minimum of 30 years for killing of Plymouth teenager, who he kidnapped from bus stopA man who was morbidly fascinated with the American serial killer Ted Bundy has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years after admitting to the savage murder of the teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod, who disappeared as she waited for a bus in Plymouth.Cody Ackland, a 24-year-old rock musician, attacked 18-year-old McLeod with a claw hammer in November last year before kidnapping her and carrying out a prolonged attack in a forest, causing “catastrophic” injuries to her head and face. Continue reading...

Police unit known to have spied on anti-fascists believed it would be ‘difficult’ to place undercover officersPolice leaders took a high-level policy decision not to place undercover officers in far-right groups at a time when fascists were intimidating and attacking ethnic minority communities in the 1970s, an inquiry has heard.The undercover police officers that were sent to infiltrate political groups during that time were exclusively targeted at leftwing and progressive groups, including those opposing fascists. Continue reading...

Greek composer topped US charts with Chariots of Fire’s uplifting piano-led themeVangelis, the Greek composer and musician whose synth-driven work brought huge drama to film soundtracks including Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, has died aged 79. His representatives said he died in hospital in France where he was being treated.Born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou in 1943, Vangelis won an Oscar for his 1981 Chariots of Fire soundtrack. Its uplifting piano motif became world-renowned, and reached No 1 in the US charts, as did the accompanying soundtrack album. As well as other scores, he also found success with the group Aphrodite’s Child. Continue reading...

Vaccine watchdog JCVI says extra jab will be for most vulnerable adults, frontline social care and health workersMillions of people in the UK will be offered further Covid booster shots in the autumn under draft guidance published by the government’s vaccine watchdog.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said another round of jabs would help protect the most vulnerable adults and frontline social care and health workers against severe Covid in the winter. Continue reading...

Female anchors post pictures of themselves being ‘erased’ on orders of virtue and vice ministryAfghanistan’s Taliban rulers have ordered all female TV presenters to cover their faces on air, the country’s biggest media outlet has said.The order came in a statement from the Taliban’s virtue and vice ministry, tasked with enforcing the group’s rulings, as well as from the information and culture ministry, the Tolo news channel tweeted on Thursday. The statement called the order “final and non-negotiable”, the channel said. Continue reading...

Bremerhaven pupils barricade themselves in classrooms during attack by man reportedly armed with crossbowStudents at a school in Bremerhaven, northern Germany, used chairs and tables to barricade themselves in their classrooms after several shots were fired at the building, seriously injuring an adult woman.Police in Bremerhaven say an armed attacker used an unidentified weapon to injure a female employee at the Lloyd Gymnasium secondary school on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old tank commander, has pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed 62-year-old civilian

John Pettigrew claimed a levy on oil and gas companies could derail efforts to meet climate crisis targetsThe chief executive of National Grid has weighed into the row over whether to introduce a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers, claiming it would hit investment in renewables and harm customers.John Pettigrew argues a one-off levy to pay to ease the burden of bills would risk damaging Britain’s attempts to cut emissions. Continue reading...

The South African government sent Anton Hammerl’s passport to his widow in 2016 but has refused to say how it came to have itThe widow of a British-based photographer who was murdered by Col Gaddafi’s forces in Libya in 2011 has accused South Africa of withholding crucial information about her husband’s death that could help in efforts to locate his body.Anton Hammerl was killed in an incident in May 2011 that saw other journalists, including James Foley – who was later kidnapped and beheaded by Islamic State in Syria – taken prisoner. Continue reading...

Teal independent says she will lodge federal court challenge as AEC admits people who tested positive early this week but didn’t register for postal ballot ‘may not be able to vote’

Russia says 1,730 fighters at Azovstal plant have surrendered since Monday; ‘culture of cover-ups’ in Russian military, says UK’s MoD

Robert Biggs, 30, pleads guilty to assault of captain at playoff semi-final against Nottingham ForestA man has been jailed for 24 weeks after pleading guilty at Nottingham magistrates court to assaulting the Sheffield United captain, Billy Sharp, at Tuesday’s playoff semi-final at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.Robert Biggs, 30, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was told that a charge of illegally entering the playing surface had been dropped. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Prime Video investment amount revealed for first time as competition for viewers intensifiesAmazon has invested more than £1bn on TV, movie and live sport content in the UK in recent years and plans to increase spending to make it a must-have streaming service for cash-strapped households.It is the first time that Amazon has revealed the level of investment in Prime Video in the UK, spanning the period since 2018, as competition for viewers intensifies amid a mounting cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

87-year-old NSW conservative joins the Seniors United party after his Christian Democratic party was deregistered

Labour shortages, exacerbated by Covid, still likely to affect some booths, despite calls to ADF and emergency service personnel

Jim Chalmers says investments in childcare and cleaner energy are necessary and further budget savings could be identified

State media have told patients to use painkillers as well as unverified home remedies such as willow leaf teaNorth Korea is ramping up production of drugs and medical supplies including sterilisers and thermometers as well as encouraging the use of traditional Korean medicines said to reduce fever and pain as it battles an unprecedented coronavirus outbreak.Traditional medicines were “effective in prevention and cure of the malicious disease,” state-run news agency KCNA said, although no medical evidence exists for those claims. Continue reading...

Opposition’s diversity policy notes many communities face barriers in accessing support

Greg Hunt rejects Mark Butler’s claims that ‘misleading’ newspaper ad suggests the department endorses the Coalition

Poorest predicted to be hit hardest by obesity crisis as government accused of ‘kicking the can down the road’More than 42 million adults in the UK will be overweight or obese by 2040 and at higher risk of 13 types of cancer, an “alarming” report reveals, as health leaders accused ministers of “kicking the can down the road” when it comes to tackling the obesity crisis.Data collected by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) shows that 71% of people will be overweight by 2040, a rise from 64% today. Of these, almost 36% of adults – 21 million people – will be obese. The charity described the figures as “staggering”. Continue reading...

Experts describe increase to 24,268 in England as alarming, with particularly stark rise among malesHospital admissions for people with eating disorders in England have risen 84% in the last five years, official NHS figures reveal.There were 11,049 more admissions for illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia in 2020-21 than in 2015-16, with 24,268 admissions in total. Experts described the increase as “alarming”. Continue reading...

Thursday: At least 60 nursing home residents with coronavirus are dying each week as workers prepare to strike. Plus: the ‘innately comforting’ tactility of collecting moviesGood morning. Aged care Covid deaths soar in Australia, Muslim Australians abandon Labor in key marginals and the US pledges Nato cooperation with Finland and Sweden.Covid deaths inside aged care facilities are occurring at rates unseen during the first two years of the pandemic, as government data reveals at least 60 people are dying a week, with more than 350 deaths since the start of the election campaign. Aged care works are preparing to strike tomorrow, citing frustration about low pay, heightened workforce pressures and workload. Scott Morrison has described every death as a “terrible loss” but explained that the high number of deaths is due to people dying “with Covid” but not necessarily “because of Covid”. Anthony Albanese flagged a new national strategy to reduce the deaths if Labor wins the election. Virologists, meanwhile, have accused both Labor and the Liberals of failing to address slowing booster uptake rates amid a creeping “complacency” in pandemic planning. Continue reading...

Amendments made during marathon 12-hour sitting mean bill must return to lower house before becoming law

Phénéas Munyarugarama is second person wanted for their involvement in 1994 mass killings to dieOne of the last five fugitives wanted for his role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Phénéas Munyarugarama, died in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002, UN prosecutors have announced.Munyarugarama, a local army commander, “died of natural causes” and was buried in Kankwala, in the eastern DRC, the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) announced in The Hague. Continue reading...

By demanding Finland and Sweden extradite members of the Kurdish Workers’ party, the president could have one eye on the Turkish electionsAfter initial hesitation about the seriousness of Turkey’s objections, its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has doubled down on his threat to veto Finland’s and Sweden’s membership of Nato, saying there was no point either country sending delegations to Ankara to persuade him otherwise.On Wednesday, he also extended his demands from the two he outlined on Monday to 10, leading to claims that he us using blackmail. Continue reading...

Fate of soldiers leaving Azovstal steel site unclear and numbers not confirmed by Ukraine