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Former health secretary Wes Streeting also threatened to launch a leadership contest if the prime minister did not set out a timetable to step downGood morning. Keir Starmer is still in France for the G7 summit but – as Margaret Thatcher discovered on a trip to Paris in November 1990 – acting as a statesman on the world stage does not protect a PM from a leadership challenge at home and, on that front, there has been a small development overnight; Starmer is now being told explicitly he will face a leadership challenge next week if he does not agree a timetable to stand down after the Makerfield byelection tomorrow.This has always been implicit, but last night Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who wants to launch a leadership bid, said it out loud.We can’t go on with this uncertainty. I think we will inevitably end up in a contest.I’ve given you my answer.Well, I’m sure I’ll talk to Andy after the weekend, of course I will. I’ve spoken to him many times in recent weeks. And when I came into politics in 2015, it was Andy Burnham’s team that I joined, and we worked very well together.He’s a huge asset, he’s been a fantastic mayor in Manchester and if he comes back into parliament – I hope he wins in the byelection – he’ll be a fantastic asset for our party and for the country. Continue reading...

Sydney Morning Herald removes piece by Cath Ellis, despite Western Sydney University saying her use of AI was ‘appropriate’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA top Sydney academic used AI to write an opinion piece that urged students to “do the work” and not cut corners by using such technology, with the Sydney Morning Herald removing the “unacceptable” piece from its website.Western Sydney University’s pro-vice chancellor for quality and integrity, Prof Cath Ellis, had an opinion piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald last month, in response to an article from academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert. Continue reading...

Mexico’s president says ambassadors must avoid political affairs after Ron Johnson’s post on drug trafficking disputeMexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday appeared to chide Ron Johnson, a US ambassador, for interfering in the country’s politics amid rising tensions between her country and Washington over efforts to tackle drug trafficking.“It is also very important, and I say this respectfully, to remember that ambassadors should focus on coordination and collaboration,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning news conference. “Ambassadors must respect the internal political affairs of their countries.” Continue reading...

Midos Management denies ties to property group accused of making millions from bogus prayer roomsA property investor who sells temporary accommodation to local councils is part of a family accused of avoiding tax by hosting bogus prayer sessions, a Guardian investigation can reveal.Publicly available records raise questions about the business interests of members of the Schreiber dynasty, who preside over a nationwide commercial property portfolio via a “family-owned” investment vehicle, Midos Group. Continue reading...

Tribunal decision on Geoffrey Dalton comes as advocacy group releases data showing 30 greyhounds have died at or after Victorian races this yearGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA veteran greyhound trainer whose dog was found to have cocaine in its system at a race has avoided a temporary ban despite the industry regulator calling for one.The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Vcat) on Thursday decided not to impose tougher penalties on Geoffrey Dalton, who was fined $300 after the dog tested positive for cocaine before a 2024 race. Continue reading...

Exclusive: former PM says the changes to tax rates are ‘so marginal that no entrepreneurial initiative is likely to be thwarted’Paul Keating has urged Labor to stick to its guns on controversial changes to capital gains tax, warning exempting commercial assets from the changes would further “distort” the economy.Small business and the start-up sector are fighting the Albanese government over its plans to shift the 50% capital gains tax discount to an inflation-based model, part of a suite of tax reforms announced in this month’s federal budget. Continue reading...

Eight-year contract between union and hospitality industry group will boost pay of hotel housekeepers to over $100,000A deal between a New York hotel union and an hospitality industry group is set to boost the earnings of hotel housekeepers to more than $100,000, as part of a pact to avoid threatened strike action during the Fifa World Cup beginning in June.The eight-year contract agreement between the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council – representing 27,000 hotel workers – and the Hotel Association of New York City, which represents 250 hotels, establishes 50% wage raises along with free family healthcare, increased pension contributions, new benefit funds and expanded rights at work, union officials said. Continue reading...