Santander is to close a fifth of its branches in the UK as part of an overhaul of its network, putting 750 jobs at risk. The retail bank said it would shut 95 out of its 444 high street outlets, and reduce the services or hours at a further 50-plus branches, by June to “better…
The architect of global Magnitsky sanctions – which punish human rights abusers and corrupt officials – has warned Peter Dutton’s desire to bring back a controversial “golden ticket” visa scheme would be “a big mistake”. The significant investor scheme allowed foreign nationals who invested $5m in Australia access to a four-year visa that could be…
On Tuesday the welfare secretary, Liz Kendall, set out her plans to save £5bn from the government’s welfare bill. The current situation is unsustainable, the government says. With the numbers of people claiming disability benefits soaring, it was time for a fairer system, she said. For many disabled people, who have felt the effects of…
Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that seeks to shift responsibility for disaster preparations to state and local governments, deepening the president’s drive to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). The order, first previewed by the White House on 10 March, calls for a review of all infrastructure, continuity and preparedness and…
Donald Trump began his conversation with Vladimir Putin with a simple demand: a 30-day ceasefire on land, sea and air which Ukraine has already signed up to, as an initial measure on which to build towards a peace. Instead, what the US president got from Putin were questions, half-offers and limited concessions – and, above…
Albanese says Coalition promise on North West Shelf decision ‘another thought bubble’ Back at Anthony Albanese’s press conference, he has taken a question about the Coalition’s promise to fast-track a decision on Woodside’s North West Shelf if it wins the election. The prime minister said the state government had the project “for a long period…
Lilie James was smiling and happy in the moments before Paul Thijssen used a hammer to murder his ex-girlfriend in a school gymnasium toilet, a coronial inquest examining their deaths has been told. James’s body was found with serious head injuries in a gym toilet at St Andrew’s Cathedral school after water polo training with…
The Australian bestselling children’s author Aaron Blabey has signed an eight-figure deal with the UK, US and Australian arms of Macmillan. The publisher announced the deal on Wednesday, contracting the actor turned writer to produce seven new titles across two new series for the tween reading market. Blabey, whose books have sold about 55m copies,…
Federal judge blocks Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in military A federal judge has granted an injunction that temporarily blocks the US military from enforcing Donald Trump’s executive order barring transgender people from military service while a lawsuit by 20 current and would-be service members challenging the measure goes forward. Judge Ana Reyes stayed…
Former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”, the ACT Integrity Commission has found, after reviewing his inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann. The commission released a report on Wednesday into Sofronoff’s conduct as a Board of Inquiry into the prosecution. It found that “Sofronoff’s conduct fell within several elements of the…
