Anneliese Dodds says she believes Elphicke is a good fit for Labour after criticism from across the political spectrumGood morning. Defections are supposed to damage the party losing the defector, not the one welcoming them, but almost 24 hours after Natalie Elphicke’s ultra-surprise conversion to the Labour cause, at PMQs yesterday, it is starting...

Anneliese Dodds backs move to accept Conservative defector Natalie Elphicke as backlash growsThe chair of the Labour party has defended the decision to admit a staunchly rightwing MP while Diane Abbott remains suspended and has been under investigation for more than a year.Anneliese Dodds said she believed Elphicke was a good fit for Labour because...

Incident comes the day after a shooting outside the rapper’s home in which a security guard was seriously injuredA man has been arrested after trying to gain access to Drake’s Toronto mansion, the day after a security guard at the property was seriously injured in a shooting.“Officers were called after a person attempted to gain access to the property,”...

Vladimir Putin marks second world war Victory Day as relations with west spiral towards crisisUkraine-launched drone attack sparked fire and damaged several oil tanks at a refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, the region’s crisis administration said on Thursday.About six drones were destroyed, but debris fell on the refinery near the village of Yurovka,...

NSW premier condemns western Sydney council’s ban on Holly Duhig’s children’s book as motion to rescind it lodgedGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe ban on same-sex parenting books at libraries in a western Sydney council area could be rescinded after widespread backlash and a warning from the premier, Chris...

Warnings of dangerous temperatures across parts of Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh and India as hottest months of the year are made worse by El NiñoMillions of people across South and Southeast Asia are facing sweltering temperatures, with unusually hot weather forcing schools to close and threatening public health.Thousands of schools across the...