4 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing pro showered in support after sweet relationship update ‘Feels like home’

Professional dancer Julian Caillon has travelled from Australia to join the Strictly Come Dancing line-up

Culture

3 d. ago Tim Minchin looks back: ‘Entertainers say we want to change the world, but really we just enjoy being clapped’

The comedian on his sickly childhood, what made him leave his home town and his Matilda-induced anxietyBorn in 1975 in Northampton and raised in Perth, Australia, Tim Minchin is a musician, comedian, actor, writer and director. Starting out in musical theatre, he turned to comedy in 2003, winning the 2005 Perrier best newcomer at the fringe. In 2008, the Royal Shakespeare Company commissioned him to write music and lyrics for a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda – it has since won seven Olivier awards and four Tonys. He is married with two children and lives in Sydney. His new album, Tim Minchin Time Machine, is out now. Matilda the Musical is playing in the UK and Ireland.As photos were so rare in the 80s, compared with now, there’s a formality to my physicality here. I look proud, but as I didn’t like primary school, I would have been unhappy that it was time to go to class. I found the whole school experience very scary. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Do I need to purchase camels?’ Australian preppers have found their voice since Covid, but tough questions remain

Once a secretive subculture, survivalism has edged into the mainstream. But what happens if you dedicate your life to preparing for civilisation to collapse and doomsday never comes?Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastShortly after Israel announced its attack on Iran in June, Trevor Andrei sent a message to some of his fellow Australian preppers telling them to stock up on petrol and buy a few hundred dollars’ worth of groceries.“I was like, OK, this is super significant, there’s going to be a response shit’s going to go down,” Andrei says. “Most years, [Australia is] lucky if we’ve got 28 days [of petrol reserve] so if anything hits the world’s oil supply, we can be out of petrol in a month.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Still throwing shrimp on the barbie: Tourism Australia’s advertising is stuck in a 1980s time warp | Anita Manfreda and Simon Pawson

Our tourism ads return again and again to familiar themes: white sandy beaches, red desert landscapes, barbecues and blokey humour. It’s time for deeper, more inclusive storytellingGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailTourism Australia has just launched its latest global A$130m campaign, “Come and Say G’day”. It’s a sequel to the 2022 ad featuring brand ambassador Ruby the Roo.The ad is a feast of sweeping drone shots, saturated colours, iconic landmarks and feel-good energy. Friendly animals, iconic landscapes and a familiar message: come and say g’day. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Warning of NHS staffing crisis as fifth of doctors tempted to move abroad

General Medical Council warns of ‘ongoing risks to retention of doctors’ in latest report

Events

8 d. ago NHS issues vaccination warning for pregnant women over dangerous virus currently surging in Australia

The health service has warned that cases of RSV, a leading cause of infant mortality, are steadily rising in some parts of England

Events

8 d. ago NHS warns serious virus 'rampant in Australia' is coming to UK as cases surge

The NHS has warned that people should be on the lookout for a serious virus with the most vulnerable getting vaccinations

Events

8 d. ago Jimmy Carr's staggering earnings revealed after a string of TV deals and huge stand

The comedian, 52, hosts shows Battle In The Box and Last One Laughing, and is set to take his stand-up comedy show to Australia.

Economics

3 w. ago Woman died at Tameside Hospital waiting to be discharged as NHS warned of more deaths

More than 30 patients at a time are being held in beds at Tameside Hospital with no medical reason to be there, the coroner has been told

Events

3 w. ago Captain Harry Wilson backs Wallabies to surprise British & Irish Lions in first Test

Australia’s No 8 says team will try to ‘win every moment’ on SaturdayNick Champion de Crespigny and Tom Lynagh come into injury-depleted squad Australia captain Harry Wilson said the Wallabies were confident of beating the British & Irish Lions in the first Test at Lang Park on Saturday despite being heavy underdogs after losing several key players to injury.The Wallabies have won only four of their last 11 Tests and on Saturday will be without regular fly-half Noah Lolesio and their best Test player of the last two years, loose forward Rob Valetini. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago NHS warns parents of infection that makes children's skin 'feel like sandpaper'

This 'highly contagious' illness is more common in children, especially those under the age of eight

Events

3 w. ago NHS warns children born after 2017 at risk of 'serious' infection

Parents have been warned that 'it’s important to get it treated' to avoid any complications

Events

4 w. ago Dan Sheehan says Lions can fire up travelling support if they ‘give them a win’

The Lions are favourites to come out on top in the three-Test series against Australia going into Saturday’s Brisbane opener.

Events

4 w. ago Resident doctor strikes are unaffordable and 'patients will suffer', NHS trust leaders warn

NHS strikes are unaffordable and would negatively impact the delivery of patient care, according to NHS Providers

Events

4 w. ago No extra money to cover resident doctor strikes, NHS trust leaders warn

The British Medical Association announced resident doctors in England would walk out for five days from 7am on July 25.

Events

last month Caught in the contest between China and the west, the Cook Islands asks where its future lies

After the Pacific nation struck deals with Beijing, New Zealand abruptly cut off millions of dollars in critical aid and fundingOn a remote stretch of land in the Cook Islands lies a second world war airstrip. Once used as a wartime supply route by American forces, the narrow runway is in dire need of resealing to allow larger tourist jets to land. Leaders on the northern island of Penrhyn have asked New Zealand, Australia and the US to help, but none have come through. Now, they hope China will step in and fund it.“That is the dream,” says Penrhyn’s executive director, Puna John Vano. “We want to maintain our traditional partners, but if not, we’re going to get assistance from elsewhere.”On the Cook Islands’ main island of Rarotonga, many people are angry over the damage caused to relations with New Zealand. Continue reading...

Events