Prisoners may have to earn their freedom through “good behaviour credits” rather than be automatically released after a set period as part of an overhaul being considered by the government. The justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, who travelled to Texas where a similar scheme was introduced more than a decade ago, said she wanted a “carrot-and-stick”…
UK house prices grew for the sixth month in a row in February despite signs of a sluggish economy, according to a building society, as economists expected a rush of people trying to complete purchases before stamp duty increases in April. The average UK house price rose by 0.4% during the month, up from 0.1%…
James Cameron has voiced his relief that he is becoming a New Zealand citizen in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s re-election as US president, saying that America under Trump is “a turn away from everything decent”. Asked how worried he was about Trump’s second term, the 70-year-old film-maker told New Zealand outlet Stuff: “I think…
Doug Ford, the incumbent premier of Canada’s Ontario province, has declared victory in an election returning his Progressive Conservative party to office for a rarely won third term. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) projected a sweeping victory for the Progressive Conservatives, with 43% of the vote. “As we stare down the threat of Donald Trump’s…
Star Entertainment is searching for a cash injection to avoid imminent collapse amid a further deterioration in its financial position. The embattled casino operator told the ASX it expected to receive “one or more” liquidity proposals on Friday so that it could continue to operate. “As noted in the company’s recent ASX announcements, there remains…
The beleaguered CEO of Creative Australia, Adrian Collette, has quashed rumours that emerged overnight that he and the chair of the body’s board, Robert Morgan, had resigned. “There is a rumour circulating on social media that Robert Morgan and I have resigned,” said his email to all staff of the government arts funding organisation, sent…
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is becoming less likely to make landfall on the Queensland coast after it briefly intensified to a category four. Alfred briefly strengthened to a category four overnight but has since been downgraded back to a category three. It is sitting about 750km north-east of Mackay and producing wind gusts of 220km/h in…
Mexico has extradited 29 high-level organised crime operatives to the US, as it faces intense pressure from the Trump administration to show that it is tackling fentanyl trafficking. Among the prisoners sent to the US was Rafael Caro Quintero, the drug lord who was convicted of the murder of an undercover US Drug Enforcement Administration…
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Amanda Meade ABC will today conclude its $1.1m defence After a full day of closing submissions from Antoinette Lattouf’s legal team on Thursday, today will see the ABC wrap up its defence of the unlawful termination case. The broadcaster will defend…
Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Thursday announced Ocelot, its first-generation quantum computing chip, as it enters the race against fellow tech giants in harnessing the experimental technology. Developed by the AWS Center for Quantum Computing at the California Institute of Technology, the new chip can reduce the costs of implementing quantum error correction by up…
