Former

• De toevoeging van de Tasmaanse crossbencher betekent dat Labor een zetel heeft gewonnen in de Australische senaat – maar nog steeds geen meerderheid heeft • Volg onze liveblog over het nieuws uit Australië voor de laatste updates • Ontvang onze e-mail met breaking news, onze gratis app of dagelijkse nieuwspodcast

• Richard Adam, Zafar Khan en drie anderen zijn ook beboet door de Financial Reporting Council • Vijf voormalige bestuurders van de ingestorte overheidscontractant Carillion zijn verboden door de Britse accountancy-toezichthouder, wat effectief een einde maakt aan de carrière van de voormalige financieel directeur, nadat zij "roekeloos hebben gehandeld". • Voordat Carillion in januari 2018 in een verplichte liquidatie ging – een van de grootste bedrijfsfaillissementen in de Britse geschiedenis – was het een grote multinationale onderneming in de bouw en facilitair management met 43.000 werknemers wereldwijd.

• OPM-veteraan Ely Buendia zal optreden als gastartiest tijdens het "Sandali" concert van Cup of Joe op 23 mei in het Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. • Het concert staat in het teken van de populaire Filipijnse band Cup of Joe en brengt gevestigde en opkomende OPM-artiesten samen voor een viering van de Filipijnse muziek. • Het evenement markeert een significante samenwerking in de Filipijnse muziekscene en laat de blijvende invloed van veteranen zien naast hedendaagse artiesten.

Paul McCartney prijst de plannen voor 3 Savile Row, die toegang bieden tot het dak waar de band hun laatste concert gaven. Het adres klinkt misschien niet bekend, en de straatnaam staat vooral bekend als het hart van de Britse kleermakerskunst. Maar 3 Savile Row is een van de meest iconische gebouwen in de Britse pop- en rockgeschiedenis: de voormalige thuisbasis van het platenlabel Apple Corps van de Beatles, en de locatie van het laatste openbare optreden van de band toen ze in 1969 op het dak stonden. Apple Corps heeft het gebouw in Mayfair, centraal Londen, nu opnieuw verworven en is van plan dit in 2027 als nieuwe toeristische attractie open te stellen voor het publiek. Lees verder...

• Man van 45 en vrouw van 52 aangehouden op verdenking van samenspanning tot brandstichting na brand in Whitechapel • Twee personen zijn gearresteerd door antiterrorisme-functionarissen die een onderzoek doen naar een brandstichtingsaanslag bij een voormalige synagoge in Oost-Londen. • Een man van 45 en een vrouw van 52 werden zondag gearresteerd op verdenking van samenspanning tot brandstichting en zijn in bewaring gesteld door de politie.

• Focusgroep is sceptisch dat het vervangen van Keir Starmer de positie van de partij zou verbeteren, waarbij sommigen zich aangetrokken voelen tot Reform of de Greens. • Terwijl Keir Starmer voorstaat dat hij geconfronteerd wordt met een uitdaging voor het leiderschap, voelden voormalige Labour-stemmers in een kiesdistrict in Birmingham vorige week zich nerveus over wat er zou kunnen volgen. • Een maand geleden had de groep uit Birmingham Yardley erg weinig goeds te zeggen over de premier, waarbij ze hem vergeleken met een rat of een ezel. Ze gaven aan dat hij hen in de steek had gelaten.

• De MP zegt dat zijzelf de uitdaging aan gaat als er morgen geen kabinetminister naar voren stapt om de premier uit te dagen. • Goedemorgen. Er waren veel voorspellingen over de toekomst van Labour voorafgaand aan de Engelse, Schotse en Welshe verkiezingen, die verschrikkelijk zijn geweest voor de partij, maar er is één uitkomst die niemand had voorzien: een uitdaging voor het leiderschap door Catherine West. • West, MP voor Hornsey en Friern Barnet en tot haar ontslag bij de reshuffle vorig jaar junior minister op Foreign Office, kondigde gisterenmiddag aan dat zij het zelf zal doen, tenzij er morgenochtend een kabinetminister naar voren stapt om Starmer uit te dagen voor het leiderschap van Labour.

Victoria Atkins accused him of abandoning friendship and said they had not spoken since he defected to ReformThe rancorous relationship between Robert Jenrick and his former colleagues in the Conservative party was aired on live TV on Friday when an MP who backed his leadership bid accused him of abandoning their friendship.Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, revealed live on the BBC’s local election programme that she has not spoken to Robert Jenrick since he defected to Reform in January. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Documents show Modella Capital, which bought the chain last year, is so far owed £2.9m in royalty feesThe investment company that owns the former WH Smith high street stores is charging the retailer millions of pounds in licence fees for the right to use its widely derided TG Jones name, the Guardian can reveal.Modella Capital – which bought the chain from WH Smith’s parent company last year – on Wednesday blamed weak consumer spending as it laid out a restructuring plan that could shut 150 of its 450 shops. It also said “the forced name change from WH Smith has also negatively impacted consumer awareness”. Continue reading...

New owner Modella Capital, which rebranded shops to TG Jones, blames weak consumer spending Dozens of former WH Smith stores are likely to close, putting thousands of jobs at risk under a radical restructuring plan by their new owner, which had rebranded the shops to TG Jones,The investment company Modella Capital, which bought WH Smith’s chain of 480 high street stores for £76m last year, blamed “weak consumer spending” as it set out the plan to landlords on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Jordan Linden sentenced to 18 months for string of crimes committed over 10 years between 2011 and 2021A former SNP council leader has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of a string of sexual offences against young men and teenagers as young as 14.Jordan Linden, once considered a rising star in the SNP, was convicted of five sexual assaults on young men after a trial at Falkirk sheriff court in March, which heard that the SNP had “downplayed or ignored” complaints about his behaviour. Continue reading...

Louise Arbour will serve as Canada’s representative of King Charles and carry out ceremonial and constitutional dutiesCanada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has appointed a former supreme court justice and war crimes prosecutor as the country’s new governor general, saying her appointment would reflect the importance of global institutions.Louise Arbour, a celebrated jurist, served as United Nations commissioner and prosecuted war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, will serve as Canada’s representative of King Charles III. Continue reading...

Counter-terrorism officers investigating blaze at former synagogue in Tower HamletsCounter-terrorism police are investigating a fire at a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets, east London, the Metropolitan police have said.More details soon … Continue reading...

• Pope Francis appointed a former undocumented immigrant as a bishop in the United States, marking a symbolic statement on immigration policy. • The appointment reflects the Vatican's stance on immigrant rights and social justice within the American Catholic Church. • The move comes amid ongoing debate over immigration policy in the Trump administration.

The race to succeed Gavin Newsom has teetered wildly, and with Democrats in disarray, the Republican ex-Downing Street adviser is leading in the polls. Can he really pull it off?Few political aspirations have proved more futile over the past two decades than running as a Republican for statewide office in California. Yet Steve Hilton – transplanted Brit, erstwhile business entrepreneur, a former Downing Street adviser to David Cameron and a former Fox News host who says he is friends with half of Donald Trump’s cabinet – is having a remarkably good time of it.With less than six weeks to go before a primary election that has proved to be both dramatic and wildly unpredictable, most polls put Hilton narrowly ahead of a fractured field of Democrats in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom as governor. It is an astonishing turn of events in a state where Democrats enjoy supermajorities in the state legislature and a two-to-one advantage over the Republicans in voter registration. Continue reading...

Leo, who has criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policy, selected Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as state’s new bishopSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPope Leo XIV has appointed a man who had once entered the United States as an undocumented immigrant, hidden in the trunk of a car, as the new bishop of West Virginia.The pope approved the resignation of Bishop Mark E Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and selected Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, of Washington to take his place, reported OSV News. Continue reading...

Ross Davidson, who sang with group in 2018, was convicted of offences committed against six womenMusician Ross Davidson, a former singer for Spandau Ballet, has been jailed for 14 years for multiple rapes and sexual assaults.Davidson, 38, was convicted across two trials of two counts of rape, an attempted rape, three sexual assaults and two charges of voyeurism, in offences committed against six women between August 2013 and December 2019. Continue reading...

President Lula’s veto of the bill was overturned by Brazil’s congress and senate, meaning it now awaits confirmation by supreme court Brazil’s largely conservative congress has approved a bill reducing the prison sentence of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of attempting a coup.The bill had initially been passed by congress in December, but president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed it in January in a symbolic move marking three years since Bolsonaro supporters ransacked the capital, Brasília. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Government should back projects that prioritise renewables to protect consumers from ongoing price shocks, they sayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer oil and gas industry leaders, including senior executives from BP and Shell, are warning the Albanese government that Australians risk ongoing price shocks and higher costs if it prioritises fossil fuel development in response to the global energy crisis.Sixteen ex-executives and professionals – who had worked for companies including Woodside, Inpex, Exxon Mobil and Esso – have urged the government to reject calls for fast-tracked gas and coal extraction, arguing it would do nothing to improve the nation’s liquid fuel security. Continue reading...

• Ex-FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities and appeared in court on April 29, 2026, facing DOJ charges for allegedly threatening President Trump's life via a seashell social media post. • Prosecutors claim the post symbolized a threat, leading to swift federal action amid heightened political tensions. • The case underscores escalating rhetoric between Trump allies and former officials, potentially influencing 2026 midterm dynamics.

Comey, one of Donald Trump’s political enemies, charged with two felonies. Plus, Disneyland introduces facial recognitionGood morning.The justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday.What has he been charged with? Two felonies: making a threat against the president, and transmitting that threat, via social media, across state lines.What does the indictment say? That the seashell numbers were something a reasonable person “would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States”.And how about Comey? He published a video of himself saying: “Well, they’re back. This time, about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago. And this won’t be the end of it, but nothing has changed with me. I am still innocent. I am still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. So, let’s go.” He continued: “It’s really important that all of us remember – this is not who we are as a country, this is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be, and the good news is we get closer every day to restoring those values. Keep the faith.” Continue reading...

• Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for a second time on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, over an Instagram post interpreted by the DOJ as a threat against President Donald Trump. • The Justice Department expanded its probe following renewed scrutiny of the post described as a coded message referencing the president. • Comey maintains his innocence, stating the charges stem from misinterpretation of his social media activity amid ongoing political tensions.

Ex-NIAID employee David Morens accused of trying to shield correspondence related to outbreak of pandemicAn ex-adviser to former top public US health official Anthony Fauci has been indicted by Trump administration prosecutors on accusations that he illicitly concealed federal records during the Covid pandemic.The justice department on Tuesday announced charges against David Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland, amid a sharply divisive debate over the origins of the coronavirus, which has become particularly politicized during Donald Trump’s two presidencies. Competing theories – including a natural spillover versus a potential lab leak – have fueled partisan clashes, with splits along ideological lines. Continue reading...

David Brat represented Virginia in the House of Representatives for two termsThe White House has nominated David Brat, a former Republican member of the US House of Representatives, to be the next ambassador to Australia.Brat represented Virginia in Congress and served two terms before he was defeated by a Democrat in 2018 in a close race. He is currently a vice-president of business relations at Virginia’s Liberty University. Continue reading...

• The New Orleans Saints completed a trade acquiring a former top-10 draft pick, signaling aggressive roster building by the franchise. • The transaction represents the Saints' strategic approach to addressing roster needs during the offseason. • The move reflects New Orleans' commitment to competitive roster construction ahead of the upcoming NFL season.

Karl Turner, who lost Labour whip after criticising PM, calls for privileges committee to examine if Starmer misled parliamentUK politics live – latest updatesA former Labour MP has joined opposition parties calling for Keir Starmer to face a Commons committee to examine whether the prime minister misled parliament as the government’s crisis surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington continues.Karl Turner, who lost the Labour whip last month after making a series of interventions criticising Starmer and No 10, has written to the speaker of the Commons urging him to refer Starmer to the privileges committee, the same body that found Boris Johnson had lied in the Commons over the lockdown parties scandal. Continue reading...

Suspect is one of three ex-senior leaders also arrested last year on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughterA former boss at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.Police arrested the suspect on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations of gross negligence manslaughter by ex-senior leaders at the Countess of Chester hospital. Continue reading...

Valentine officially retired in February after almost 40 years in radio, for treatment for a recurring cancerFriends and former colleagues of James Valentine say the much-loved musician and ABC radio presenter has died.The ABC confirmed his passing on air on Thursday morning. Continue reading...