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Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred in 1995 film that featured hit single Gangsta’s Paradise, among those to pay respectsTributes have been paid to the Grammy award-winning musician Coolio, who died at the age of 59 on Wednesday.The death of the rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, was confirmed by his manager, Sheila Finegan, who in a statement said: “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon. Continue reading...

Asked if he smoked a joint the night before he went to police, Koletti tells Sydney inquest: ‘Let’s just say I did, what’s your point?’

Health services not using correct procedures to help those with drug and alcohol problems, commission findsScotland’s health services are failing to tackle a mental health crisis affecting thousands of people with drug or alcohol problems because the right policies are not being followed, an expert body has found.The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, a statutory body founded to protect the human rights of people with mental illness, said only a minority of health professionals were using the correct strategies and plans for at-risk patients.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Exclusive: labour rights experts say Liz Truss’s proposals to tackle shortages will put workers at riskMore people will be at risk of modern slavery on British farms if a cap on seasonal worker visas is lifted, labour rights experts have warned.Liz Truss has signalled that she intends to lift the cap on foreign workers in seasonal agriculture as part of a review of visas to tackle labour shortages. Continue reading...

The Grammy-winning musician passed away at friend’s house in Los Angeles, manager saysThe rapper Coolio died at the age of 59 in Los Angeles, his manager has confirmed.The artist, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, passed away at a friend’s house, his longtime manager, Jarez Posey, told the Associated Press and other outlets including TMZ, Rolling Stone and Variety. Continue reading...

Economic adviser to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was by accused by military leaders of having confidential papersAung San Suu Kyi and the Australian academic Sean Turnell who served as her advisor have been sentenced to three years in prison after a closed trial in Myanmar, according to reports.Turnell, an economist at Sydney’s Macquarie University, was first detained last year on 6 February, a few days after the military ousted Myanmar’s elected government, plunging the country into chaos. Continue reading...

Former legislator, who fled to Australia last year, said earlier that any sentence would not harm his reputation or lobbying workA Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy figure in exile Ted Hui to three-and-a-half years in jail over charges related to the 2019 protest movement.The ruling in Hong Kong’s high court on Thursday, reported by local media, is the first time someone has been sentenced in absentia over the protests. Continue reading...

Far-right leader posted sexualised clip of herself during election campaign, favours curbs on abortion and is against ‘pink quotas’On election day, Giorgia Meloni appeared to have found a way to flout rules demanding candidates stop all campaigning. The Italian far-right leader posted a video of herself on social media holding two melons in front of her chest while winking into the camera and saying: “25 September [voting day], I’ve said everything”. Meloni in Italian means melons, and it is also slang for breasts.For those who found the clip distasteful, the sexualised image was a further indication that Meloni would not be carrying the torch for feminists as prime minister. Others were surprised by the sudden turn in style by the Brothers of Italy chief, who had made being a woman and mother central to her campaign, but nonetheless acknowledged that it was a clever way of showing voters she knows how to have a laugh, even if the humour hailed from a more masculine culture. Continue reading...

Albanese government considering sweeping overhaul of data retention and privacy laws following massive Optus cyber hack

Move comes after AWM faced criticism for sparse presentation of atrocities against Indigenous Australians during colonisation

Jagot will be the seventh woman appointed to the court, replacing Patrick Keane once he reaches mandatory retirement age

Exclusive: Despite war crimes inquiry saying commanders ‘must bear’ responsibility for what happened on their watch, the previous government suspended punishment against them

Animal welfare law passes two years after sinking of Gulf Livestock 1 in a typhoon killed crew and 6,000 cattleNew Zealand will ban live animal exports from next April, two years after storms sank a livestock ship, killing 41 crew members and 6,000 cattle.The death of two New Zealanders among the crew of the Gulf Livestock 1, which sank in a September 2020 typhoon, helped galvanise the movement to ban exports of live sheep and cattle. Continue reading...

Antony Blinken opens landmark meeting a day after leaked documents showed discord among some Pacific leaders over US proposalsJoe Biden’s administration has welcomed Pacific Island leaders for a landmark summit in Washington with promises of greater aid and diplomatic presence, as it attempts to counter China’s rising influence in a region historically linked to the US.In a first-of-a-kind summit in Washington, leaders from across the remote but strategic islands will meet Biden and the rest of the top US leadership on issues from maritime security to pandemic recovery to climate change, which threatens to devastate many of the low-lying islands. Continue reading...

Official reason to allow children ‘to shape their own existence’ while mother of two princes losing titles ‘shocked’ by decisionDenmark’s Queen Margrethe, Europe’s only reigning queen and the continent’s longest serving monarch, has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their titles, the palace announced.The official reason was to allow the four children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, to live more normal lives, and follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe to slim down their monarchies, the palace said. Continue reading...

Services such as debt advice and hardship funds under threat amid £400m bill caused by inflationA network of councils in England is warning support services for families hit hardest by the cost of living crisis face being axed amid an unexpected £400m bill caused by soaring inflation.Services that district councils have no legal obligation to provide – such as debt and benefits advice, hardship funds for families, homelessness prevention projects and help hubs for people facing poverty – are under threat. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Zelenskiy’s chief of staff says sanctions should go further as international group concludes Russia’s actions pass terrorism thresholdThe head of the Office of the Ukrainian Presidency has called for sweeping American and European sanctions targeting Moscow after an official report drawn up by an international working group concluded Russia should now be declared a “state sponsor of terrorism”.The call from Andriy Yermak, the second most powerful Ukrainian government official after president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, came after Ukraine accused Russia of sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, an accusation that adds to its claim that Russia has shown all the characteristics of a terrorist state under US and international law. Continue reading...

Bank of England left with no action but to intervene after Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budgetThe Bank of England has been forced into emergency action to halt a run on Britain’s pension funds after the impact of Kwasi Kwarteng’s ill-received mini budget prompted fears of a 2008-style financial crisis.Threadneedle Street said the fallout from a dramatic rise in government borrowing costs since the chancellor’s statement had left it with no choice but to intervene to protect the UK’s financial system. Continue reading...

Severe storm that killed two and flattened homes in Atlantic Canada highlights need for longterm strategy against climate changeBrian “Smokey” Osmond was cooking at his home in Newfoundland’s coastal Port aux Basques when he spotted flood waters creeping into his garage on Saturday morning.Osmond moved his truck up a hill to safety. But as he returned, a powerful storm surge struck. Continue reading...

Borrowers unable to secure loans and provisional offers withdrawn, while others pay huge penalties to lock in longer fixed rates

Angela Rayner invites activists to imagine meeting under a Labour government, and insiders say gathering was big financial successLabour membership increased by more than 2,500 over the party’s conference, fuelled by the Conservatives’ turmoil and polls suggesting it is on course for victory.The conference in Liverpool was the most financially successful in the party’s history, according to insiders. A new poll by Deltapoll as the conference closed on Wednesday gave Labour a 13-point lead, as Liz Truss faced calls to sack her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, following the emergency intervention by the Bank of England after his mini-budget. Continue reading...

Passengers urged not to travel unless necessary as service cut to 11% of normal scheduleNo trains at all will run between London and Britain’s biggest cities this Saturday as multiple unions combine strikes, the rail industry has confirmed.Timetables for 1 October have been published, with the overall service cut to just 11% of the normal schedule, when Aslef, RMT and some TSSA and Unite members are walking out for 24 hours in the long-running dispute over pay. Continue reading...

Additional requirements would be time-consuming and threaten capacityPassengers crossing the Channel could see post-Brexit border delays multiplied from next May, with a family car held for 10 minutes if the EU goes ahead with a planned biometric entry system, the Port of Dover has warned.The entry-exit system (EES), which is due to start in May 2023, will require all non-nationals to register their fingerprints and be photographed before entering the EU. Continue reading...

Thaw Nandar Aung, AKA Han Lay, feared being sent home after she was stopped at Thai border last weekA Myanmar fashion model who was denied entry to Thailand and feared arrest by the military government in Yangon if she was forced back home from exile has flown to Canada, which she says has granted her asylum.Thaw Nandar Aung, also known as Han Lay, left on a flight from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport early on Wednesday, according to Archayon Kraithong, a deputy commissioner of Thailand’s Immigration Bureau. He said he was not authorised to reveal her destination. Continue reading...

Plea to wealthy footballers and clubs to help buy auctioned painting to stop it disappearing into private collectionThe mayor of Salford has urged wealthy football players and clubs to consider buying LS Lowry’s painting Going to the Match when it is auctioned next month to prevent the “huge tragedy and scandal” of it disappearing from public view.The 1953 work by one of Britain’s best known and best-loved painters is expected to smash records when it is sold by the Professional Footballers’ Association next month. Christie’s, the auction house handling the sale, estimates it will fetch up to £8m. Continue reading...

New station opens five months after rest of line and two weeks before first through-servicesThe Elizabeth line’s delayed Bond Street station will open on 24 October, Transport for London has announced.The station, allowing direct access to the West End and shopping district on high-capacity trains from outside the capital, will open five months after the rest of the cross-London line started operating in May. Continue reading...

Push comes day after states suggest telco will pick up multi-million dollar tab for replacing driver’s licences of affected customers

Internal cultural review published by News Corp Australia states ‘allegations of abuse, racial vilification and bullying’ could amount to human rights violations

Analyst says lack of unity ‘like a case of brinkmanship’ ahead of decision on activation of gas trigger

Treasurer says it will take more than one budget to turn the Australian economy around amid a deteriorating global market

Chef Justin James combines native flavours and exotic botanics to create a 20-something-course menu

Coroner tells husband of businesswoman who vanished in late 2020: ‘If you are unable to give truthful answers that is not going to assist me’

Zbigniew Rau rules out a nuclear reprisal but says the alliance is sending a clear message to RussiaPoland’s foreign minister, Zbigniew Rau, has said Nato’s response to any use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine should be non-nuclear but “devastating”.Speaking on a visit to Washington, Rau said the alliance was in the process of delivering that message to Moscow. Continue reading...

Ministry of Justice investigating alleged security breach that allowed David Norris to send selfies to friendsAn investigation has been launched after one of the men convicted of murdering Stephen Lawrence reportedly obtained a mobile phone in prison and sent selfies to friends.The Ministry of Justice said it is investigating the alleged security breach involving David Norris, who has now been placed in segregation, and warned that prisoners found with mobile phones can expect longer jail terms. Continue reading...

Kremlin officials have talked up implications of the gas pipe explosions but there is no reason to expect a western military responseIt may never be possible to determine definitively whether Monday’s underwater explosions at the two Nord Stream gas pipelines were the work of Russian sabotage, but it is certainly the way to bet.The incidents took place close to – but just outside – the 12-mile territorial waters of Denmark’s Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, the kind of calibration that might be expected from a state actor mindful of the country’s Nato membership. Continue reading...

Price five times more than estimate as A4 sheet bought by Tasmanian museum official acting for private collectorDavid Bowie’s handwritten lyrics to his 1972 song Starman have sold for more than £200,000 at auction, five times their estimated sale price.The song featured on his fifth album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which propelled the musician to international rock and pop stardom. Continue reading...

First signs of friction between PM and chancellor emerge as pound falls to historic low following mini-budget

Sir Mark Rowley says he is not interested in ‘labels’, while vowing to root out racism in the forceThe new commissioner of the Metropolitan police declined to say whether his force was institutionally racist or not, saying he was not interested in “labels”, while vowing to root out racism in the force.Sir Mark Rowley’s comments, as he carried out a round of media interviews were criticised by black officers and the surviving brother of Stephen Lawrence, whose murder by a racist gang was botched by the Met and which led to the Macpherson inquiry in 1999 finding the Met was institutionally racist. Continue reading...

Firm switching to set-top boxes amid changes in technology and consumer behaviourThe end of the satellite television dish is in sight after Sky said it would start offering most of its services via a set-top streaming box.Although Sky has denied claims it will stop installing new satellite dishes next year, one source at the company suggested it is ultimately a matter of “when, not if” the company ultimately decides to move to internet streaming as standard. Continue reading...

Expert says it’s vital to change how student absences are recorded to better track school refusal

Expert tells London inquest material 14-year-old viewed online would ‘certainly’ have affected herA child psychiatrist has told the inquest into Molly Russell’s death he was unable to sleep well for “a few weeks” after seeing social media content viewed by the teenager before she killed herself.Dr Navin Venugopal told North London coroner’s court the self-harm content viewed by Molly before her death was “very disturbing” and “distressing”.In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org, and in the UK and Ireland Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Kremlin says it has made no decision on closing Russia’s borders as many flee after Moscow’s military call-up; ‘referendum’ voting enters final day

Party whip suspended after Labour MP accused of making ‘racist’ comment about chancellorA Labour MP has had the party whip suspended after she was accused of making a “racist” comment by claiming that the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, was “superficially” black.Rupa Huq, a former shadow Home Office minister, was recorded at an event held on Monday during a fringe event as part of Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool hosted by British Future and the Black Equity Organisation and also attended by the party’s chair, Anneliese Dodds. Continue reading...

BBC says decision will be made within weeks after UK replaced Ukraine to host event due to Russia’s invasionLiverpool and Glasgow are the two cities which remain in the competition to host the Eurovision song contest in 2023, when it will be held in the UK for the first time in 25 years.The two cities were selected after Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester were removed from contention to host the music event. The BBC said a final decision would be made “within weeks”. Continue reading...

Leader promises to launch energy firm as part of ‘partnership between government, business and communities’

Thousands evacuated in Cuba while Floridians warned Ian may strengthen to category 4Hurricane Ian has torn into western Cuba with nothing to stop it from intensifying into a catastrophic category 4 hurricane before it is expected to hit Florida on Wednesday.Tampa and St Petersburg in Florida could get their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley sets out ambition to restore trust in London force, lower murder rate and tackle burglaryThe new Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley tried to define his leadership of the failing force by saying it had been too “forgiving” of wrongdoing in the ranks and vowing to reconnect with communities to boost dwindling trust.Rowley, in his third week in the job, said he would be “ruthless” in tackling racism and misogyny among officers, and that he hoped to bring London’s murder rate down below 100 a year and boost its crime fighting. Continue reading...

Bank of Ireland, Clydesdale, Post Office Money and building societies among those to withdraw productsNearly 300 mortgage deals have been pulled in the last 24 hours by banks and building societies after a fall in the pound fuelled forecasts of a jump in interest rates to nearly 6%.The Bank of Ireland, Clydesdale Bank, Post Office Money and building societies including Monmouthshire, Furness and Darlington are among the names to have withdrawn products. Continue reading...

Official outlines punishments for those found guilty of helping Russia but says those forced to vote will not be punished

RSPB, National Trust and others call on supporters to write to MPs as they argue ‘nature is not a negotiable luxury’Environmental charities are mobilising their millions of members to take on the UK government over what they say is an attack on nature in the push for growth.Groups including the RSPB, the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, and Wildlife and Countryside link – a coalition of 65 organisations with a combined membership of more than 7 million – are encouraging supporters to put pressure on Conservative MPs over proposals that they say strike at the heart of environmental and wildlife protections.The removal from the statute books of 570 laws derived from EU directives that make up the bedrock of environmental regulations in the UK, covering sewage pollution, water quality and clean air. These include the habitat regulations, which have protected areas for wildlife for more than 30 years.The ending of the moratorium on fracking.The creation of low-tax investment zones from Cornwall to Cumbria where environmental protections would be relaxed to encourage development.The feared scrapping of the post-Brexit environmental land management scheme (Elms), which pays farmers to enhance nature. Continue reading...