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Labor win marks Coalition’s declining power around the country. This blog is now closed

The Victorian premier will leave on Monday night for the first visit to China by an Australian state or national leader since the pandemic began

Offenders to clean up damage within 48 hours, wearing jumpsuits or hi-viz jackets, in government bid to claim crime as priorityOffenders guilty of crimes such as vandalism will be ordered to start repairing the damage they caused within two days of receiving their punishment, under a government pledge to tackle antisocial behaviour.Victims of crimes will also be given a say over the type of punishment that offenders should face, as will communities, under an “immediate justice” scheme to be unveiled by Rishi Sunak on Monday. Continue reading...

Russia’s president says deal struck to station weapons on ally’s territory, according to Tass news agency

Comic, real name Xavier López, fronted children’s TV show that ran from 1967 to 2015The Mexican children’s entertainer Xavier López, better known by his stage name Chabelo, has died at 88, Mexico’s president has said.Andrés Manuel López Obrador tweeted that his eldest son “woke up early to see him [on television] more than 40 years ago”. Continue reading...

Queensland Human Rights Commission disagrees with assertion complaint is ‘lacking in substance’ and refers matter to tribunal over jurisdiction

Duggan is fighting a US extradition request from prison, over allegations he trained Chinese aviators

SA attorney general Kyam Maher says Australia’s first state-based Indigenous voice to parliament will demonstrate there is ‘nothing to fear or lose’

Ex-PM has reportedly nominated at least four new members of Lords despite only lasting 49 days in No 10Liz Truss has been accused of showing a “stunning lack of humility” following reports that she plans in effect to create a peer for every 10 days she spent in office.The former prime minister is reported to have nominated at least four new members of the House of Lords, despite being forced from office after only 49 days, following a disastrous mini-budget. Continue reading...

Sixteen police and two protesters seriously hurt in western rural district of Sainte-SolineSeveral people have been injured after clashes between French police and protesters opposed to a large water reservoir for farm irrigation, despite a ban on gatherings in the area.Police fired teargas to repel some protesters who threw fireworks and other projectiles as they crossed fields to approach the construction area in the western rural district of Sainte-Soline. At least three police vehicles were set alight, television footage showed. Continue reading...

Washington insists it is not seeking conflict with Tehran after responding to drone attack on coalition baseThe death toll from retaliatory US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria after a deadly drone attack has risen to 19, a war monitor said, as Washington insisted that it was not seeking conflict with Tehran.Further rocket attacks by Iran-backed militias took place late on Friday, prompting more strikes by coalition warplanes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Continue reading...

Manchester mayor ordered to pay £1,984 after admitting doing 78mph in section where limit had been cut to 40mphAndy Burnham has been ordered to pay nearly £2,000 in fines, charges and costs and given six penalty points for speeding on the M62.The Greater Manchester mayor, who was elected in 2017 before being re-elected for a second term in May 2021, admitted driving at 78mph on a section of motorway where the limit had been reduced to 40mph. Continue reading...

UK Statistics Authority says PM used inaccurate figures when comparing current backlog with situation under LabourThe statistics watchdog has found that the prime minister used incorrect figures when comparing the current asylum backlog to when Labour was in power.Sir Robert Chote, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, has written to the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, to point out the inaccuracy. Continue reading...

Observer investigation finds case of Met officer and serial rapist David Carrick among dozens removed from police websitesPolice forces in England and Wales have been accused of trying to “evade public scrutiny” after an Observer investigation found that the outcomes of dozens of officer misconduct cases have been deleted from their websites.They include some of the most serious cases of criminality, including that of the serial rapist David Carrick. Continue reading...

Family of Roxy Phillips, who was found dead next to tracks in Weymouth, says her death was ‘tragic accident’A family has warned about the dangers of railway lines after a teenage girl was found dead near tracks in Dorset.Officers were called to train lines in Weymouth at 2.25am on Thursday, where they found 15-year-old Roxy Phillips unresponsive. Continue reading...

Campaigners hope bid to develop site of prison where famous poem was composed may finally succeedThe site of Reading’s former prison has a highly desirable location in the town’s centre and a celebrated history, not least as the setting of Oscar Wilde’s most famous poem, the Ballad of Reading Gaol.But almost a decade after HMP Reading was closed, the historic building where Wilde was incarcerated for homosexual acts remains locked and inaccessible, while its owners, the Ministry of Justice, have been unable to find a commercial buyer for the site. Continue reading...

Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan secures a 27.5% swing to end decades of Liberal dominance

Grandeur of royal couple’s state visit amid protests would have been ‘bad idea’ and it was right to postpone it, Lord Ricketts saysKing Charles’ state visit to France and a banquet at the Palace of Versailles could have had “echoes” of the French Revolution, according to former British ambassador to France.Lord Ricketts, who was Britain’s man in France from 2012 to 2016, said that the dinner would have been poorly timed during widespread protests against the French president, Emmanuel Macron’s, plans to reform pensions and raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Continue reading...

Top opposition figure expelled from parliament after being convicted of defamation over Modi remarkThe top Indian opposition figure Rahul Gandhi has said he will keep fighting for democracy after blaming his expulsion from parliament on his demands for an investigation into a key business ally of the prime minister, Narendra Modi.Gandhi was stripped of his parliamentary seat on Friday, a day after he was convicted of defamation in Modi’s home state of Gujarat for a 2019 campaign-trail remark seen as an insult to the prime minister. Continue reading...

Gender equality campaigners celebrate rule change, which affects indoor and outdoor poolsWhen a lifeguard asked police to remove Lotte Mies for bathing topless at her local indoor swimming pool in Berlin it was a move that would inadvertently trigger a rule change allowing all women, including visiting female tourists, the freedom to go topless while swimming in the city.The decision to change clothing rules around swimming in the German capital was made after two women, including Mies, filed complaints about being thrown out or barred from the city’s pools for refusing to cover up, and demanded the same rights as their male counterparts when bathing “oben-ohne” (topless) at the city’s public pools. Continue reading...

As Russian observers hunt for clues of a spring offensive, Ukraine’s land forces chief suggests an unlikely strategySpring has arrived in Ukraine – with late March temperatures an unreasonably high 17C along much of the frontline in the east. It means it is possible to declare, definitively, that the Russian campaign to knock out Ukraine’s power grid has failed, and whatever happens next in the war, its people will not be frozen out of their homes, as was once feared when the cynical bombing campaign began on 10 October.The reality, of course, was the missile strikes on key infrastructure had been largely abandoned at the end of January, with Russian missile stocks at 10-15% of prewar levels, according to Ukrainian estimates. Moscow’s tactics are changing: Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Kyiv’s military intelligence, said in a TV interview that it appeared military fuel and “logistics systems” were now being targeted. Continue reading...

Council are paying large sums for elderly care homes that are inadequate, need improving and not safe, finds Guardian researchFive of the largest private care chains are taking £150m a year in taxpayers’ money for places in English elderly care homes rated inadequate or requiring improvement, including some that are “not safe”, the Guardian has estimated.The leading earner from public funds is HC-One, a chain of 285 care homes majority-owned by a US private equity company, according to analysis of council spending records. Continue reading...

British viewers are showing an interest in travelling to Canada after launch of reality show’s third seriesCanada’s tourism industry this week expressed hopes for a rise in UK visitors after the third series of BBC’s Race Across the World launched in the UK to rave reviews.The reality show, in which five couples travel 10,000 miles (16,000km) from one side of Canada to another on a shoestring and without flying, could be a boon to the country’s recovering tourism sector. Arrivals were down 40% in 2022 from their high in 2019, but there are hopes for an increase with UK viewers inspired by the epic scenery and charmed by helpful Canadians. Continue reading...

Non-binding commitments, paucity of scientific data and poor representation of global south left a lot to be desired at summitThe first global water conference in almost half a century has concluded with the creation of a new UN envoy for water and hundreds of non-binding pledges that if fulfilled would edge the world towards universal access to clean water and sanitation.The three-day summit in New York spurred almost 700 commitments from local and national governments, non-profits and some businesses to a new Water Action Agenda, and progress on the hotchpotch of voluntary pledges will be monitored at future UN gatherings. A new scientific panel on water will also be created by the UN. Continue reading...

Big four banks believe RBA will lift cash rate by at least another 25 basis points though many predict rises are close to a peak

Contamination found at high levels in some of firm’s products but authorities have not confirmed source of fatal infectionOne person in the UK has died in a listeria outbreak, public health bodies have revealed, as they warned consumers not to eat Baronet semi-soft cheeses because of contamination discovered at exceptionally high levels in some products.An alert from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), updated on Monday, said the Old Cheese Room, a Wiltshire-based manufacturer, had extended its recall of Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet soft cheeses because listeria had been found in some batches. These include pack sizes of 1kg, 270g and 200g, with best before dates of 21 and 22 March, and 4, 10, 11, 12, 16 and 18 April. Continue reading...

Move following meetings in Ottawa with the US president will in effect close a controversial border crossingJustin Trudeau’s government has announced a major shift in how Canada and the US handle asylum claims, a move that effectively closes a controversial border crossing, after meetings in Ottawa on Friday with Joe Biden.Under the deal, which Canadian officials hope will temper the increase in irregular border crossings in recent months, Canada will bring in 15,000 more South and Central American migrants to Canada. The prime minister’s office said in a statement the agreement would ensure more “fairness” in migration between the two countries. Continue reading...

Former prime minister understood to have submitted list despite government lasting only seven weeksLiz Truss has requested peerages for some of her closest Tory supporters despite her government lasting only seven weeks after a disastrous budget.The former prime minister is understood to have submitted a list of peerages, while No 10 is also still considering whether to grant a long list of honours requested by Boris Johnson as well. Continue reading...

Press and public barred from attending, with party claiming it is an ‘internal event closed to media’

College of Policing statement comes after ICO proposes forces across England and Wales no longer ‘should’ name those chargedPeople charged with a crime should have no reasonable expectation of privacy, the national policing standards body has said.The statement from the College of Policing came after media organisations raised concerns over proposed changes to the college’s guidance that stated forces across England and Wales no longer “should” name those charged with crimes including indecent exposure, domestic violence or child sexual abuse, instead advising that individuals “can be named”. Continue reading...

At least 60 Tories likely to support attempt to limit judges’ powers to stop deportations, and Labour also wants a number of changesRishi Sunak is braced for what could be the biggest rebellion of this parliament over his illegal migration bill, with many Conservative MPs calling for it to be “toughened up”.At least 60 Tories are expected to back an amendment that will block judges from granting injunctions to stop migrants being deported, which they believe is the only way the prime minister will meet his mission of actually “stopping the boats”. Continue reading...

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Chamber choir to resume place in Proms programme after plans to shut it down met fierce oppositionThe BBC has U-turned on its decision to scrap the BBC Singers chamber choir after pressure from musicians, the public and politicians.The decision to close the BBC Singers, announced in March, was expected to result in the loss of 20 posts but was met with fierce opposition from conductors, choirmasters and senior members of government and the opposition. Continue reading...

PC Hussain Chehab had admitted sexual activity with a girl and offences linked to indecent images of childrenA Metropolitan police Safer Schools officer has been jailed for five years over a string of child sexual abuse offences.PC Hussain Chehab was sentenced at Wood Green crown court on Friday after admitting four counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 and offences linked to indecent images of children. Continue reading...

Row a further signal of tensions over the green deal landmark proposals to tackle climate crisisGermany is facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035, despite signs of an end to the standoff with Brussels.The row comes amid growing concerns over France’s push to include nuclear across a swathe of laws on green technologies, a further signal of tensions over the EU green deal, landmark proposals to tackle the climate crisis. Continue reading...

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Airstrikes in retaliation to attack on base in north-east by suspected Iranian-made drone that killed US contractorThe US military has carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed forces in retaliation for an attack that killed an American contractor and wounded five US troops.A day after the deadly attack on US personnel in Syria, which Washington blamed on a drone of Iranian origin, sources said a US base in Syria’s north-east was targeted in a new missile attack. US officials said there were no US casualties in the incident on Friday. Continue reading...

Acute hunger is affecting 4.9 million Haitians, according to a UN report, which outlines the increased need for humanitarian aidHaitians are increasingly desperate for humanitarian aid as gang violence engulfing the country has left nearly half the population regularly going hungry, a World Food Programme (WFP) report has found.“These are the worst conditions on record,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP’s Haiti director. “Food insecurity in Haiti has been going downhill and Haiti is sliding into a hunger emergency.” Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister greeted by hundreds of protesters during London visit to discuss securityRishi Sunak emphasised the need to uphold democratic values when he met Benjamin Netanyahu for talks on Friday, the British prime minister’s office has said, in a reference to the Israeli government’s attempt to overhaul the judiciary.Sunak has faced calls to do more to distance the UK from his Israeli counterpart and the extremism of Netanyahu’s rightwing coalition government, which has faced mass protests over its attempts to increase politicians’ power over the courts. Continue reading...

Emmanuel Macron says it would not have been ‘serious or good sense’ for next week’s visit to go aheadEmmanuel Macron has defended the last-minute postponement of King Charles’s state visit to France next week, saying it would not have been “serious or good sense” for it to go ahead as it clashed with another national day of mass strikes and social unrest.The king had been scheduled to arrive in France on Sunday on his first state visit as monarch. He was due to visit Paris and Bordeaux before heading to Germany on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Joint statement hails ‘positive approach’ as Windsor framework adopted after Tory rebellion fails

Dr Neville Lawrence says he does not believe force will reform, even after Casey report found it guilty of institutional racismThe father of Stephen Lawrence has said the Metropolitan police’s failure to change over the last 30 years disrespects his family’s sacrifice and loss of their son.Dr Neville Lawrence told the Guardian he did not believe Britain’s biggest force would reform, even after a blistering report this week by Louise Casey found it guilty of institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia. Continue reading...

Pesutto’s firm stance on the expulsion of the backbencher will cost him the leadership, some say, while others say it will be the making of him – and the partyWhen Moira Deeming was preselected to represent the Liberal party in Victoria’s upper house, the then crossbencher Fiona Patten dubbed her “Bernie Finn in a skirt”.Finn had spent almost four decades coasting through controversies until he was finally expelled from the parliamentary Liberal party in May last year after he called for abortion to be banned in Victoria, even for victims of rape, despite repeated warnings from the leadership over his social media posts.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Outrage over naked images of actor published in MailOnline could prompt move to curb cameraphonesTheatre audiences in London’s West End could be made to lock up their phones to prevent illicit images of actors being taken during performances.The suggestion comes after naked photos of James Norton on stage in A Little Life were published in MailOnline. Continue reading...

Rahul Gandhi of Congress party had asked why ‘all thieves have Modi as [their] common surname’The Indian opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, has been expelled from parliament 24 hours after he was convicted of defamation for a remark implying the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, was a criminal.Senior members of Gandhi’s Congress party met on Friday morning to discuss the conviction and his two-year jail sentence when they received news of his expulsion. Continue reading...

Train passengers advised to plan ahead over holiday weekend with west coast main line services hitRail passengers have been advised to plan ahead for Easter, with engineering works expected to close the west coast main line between some of Britain’s biggest cities.No trains will run between London Euston and Milton Keynes throughout the four-day holiday weekend from Good Friday on 7 April, until Easter Monday, on 10 April, meaning replacement buses or alternative routes will be needed to travel between the capital and towns and cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Continue reading...

The Best Part and I Hate Myself are performed by her character in A Good Person, written and directed by Zach BraffFlorence Pugh has released her first performances as a singer-songwriter, which are included on the soundtrack to her new film A Good Person.The British actor has written and performed two songs: the slow ambient ballad The Best Part, and the self-lacerating piano-driven number I Hate Myself. Each are presented in the film as being sung by her character, Allison, a promising musician whose career is set back by personal tragedy. Continue reading...

Thérèse Coffey reveals proposals for England far less ambitious than those set out in first draft of environment document

Legendary folk star is reportedly offering input into screenplay for drama film about her lifeCameron Crowe, the director of Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire, is developing a new drama film with Joni Mitchell about her life.According to a story on the entertainment site Above the Line – which was subsequently reposted on Mitchell’s own website – the project is not a documentary and Mitchell has been collaborating with Crowe on the script for the past two years. Continue reading...

Singer-songwriter says ‘the old days are gone’ amid wider consternation at ticketing company’s pricing policiesNeil Young has lambasted Ticketmaster over its concert ticketing policies, saying “concert tours are no longer fun” due to what he sees as exploitative pricing.Young wrote on his website:It’s over. The old days are gone. I get letters blaming me for $3,000 tickets for a benefit I am doing. That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers. Concert tours are no longer fun. Concert tours not what they were. Continue reading...