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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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UK relies on heat-stressed countries for fruit and veg it could grow itself – report
Food Foundation sounds alarm over supply risks and price shocks as about 40% of Britain’s food is imported The UK is vulnerable to food price shocks because of its dependence on imports of fruit and vegetable from countries even more exposed to the climate crisis, researchers say. Much of Britain has sweltered under a record five heatwaves this year and endured drought and wildfires, with the hot, dry conditions damaging crops and reducing yields of domestic produce . Continue reading...
NSW judge says anti-Israel graffiti case went ‘haywire’ when vandalism was labelled antisemitic
Mohommed Farhat spray-painted slogans and torched a car in Woollahra. He pleaded guilty but supreme court judge says case appears to be a ‘miscarriage of justice’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast For almost two years, Mohommed Farhat has been in prison after he pleaded guilty to 15 offences in connection with property damage, including spray-painting “Fuk Israel” on cars in Sydney’s east and setting another vehicle alight in late 2024. This week, the New South Wales supreme court justice Desmond Fagan ruled that police, lower courts and various state agencies all incorrectly labelled Farhat’s actions antisemitic, meaning he was treated more harshly. Continue reading...
John Irvin, British film-maker who directed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, dies aged 86
The director’s BBC hit opened the door to Hollywood action films including Hamburger Hill, The Dogs of War and Raw Deal John Irvin, the British film-maker who directed the Bafta-winning BBC miniseries Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy , as well as films including Hamburger Hill, The Dogs of War and Raw Deal, has died aged 86. Irvin died “peacefully at home” on 11 August, surrounded by his family, his producer Claire Evans confirmed to the Guardian. Continue reading...
Camilla found it ‘difficult’ keeping king’s cancer diagnosis private before announcement
In video celebrating Maggie’s cancer charity, queen recalls ‘longing to let it out’ on visit to centre in 2024 The queen has spoken for the first time of how difficult she found it to keep King Charles’s cancer a secret before it was announced publicly. Camilla found herself “longing to let it out” during an official visit to a Maggie’s cancer support centre in 2024 , after Charles had received his diagnosis but before the news was released. Continue reading...
Tourists on pastry quest overrun scenic spot in Italian mountains
Alpine communities hit out after influencer videos draw huge queues to Friedrich August refuge in Dolomites Hundreds of people overwhelmed a mountain hut in the Italian Dolomites, not for the panoramic views but in search of a creamy pastry, reigniting the debate about social-media-driven tourism. The visitors ventured en masse to the Friedrich August refuge – perched at 2,300 metres (7,500ft) above sea level, between Col Rodella and Passo Sella in Val di Fassa – some reportedly waking up at dawn or camping overnight, just to ensure they could buy a freshly baked krapfen , a traditional German pastry similar to a doughnut, before they ran out. Continue reading...
Erin Patterson argues mushroom murder convictions should be quashed due to ‘catastrophic’ failure of justice
Allowing jurors to stay in same hotel as police and prosecution denied Patterson a fair trial, lawyers tell Victorian court of appeal Lawyers for Erin Patterson argue that allowing jurors to stay in the same hotel as police and the prosecution while they deliberated over their verdicts in the triple murder trial represented a “catastrophic” failure of the justice system. On Wednesday, three judges of Victoria’s highest court started hearing two appeals – by Patterson herself and the state’s director of public prosecutions (DPP) – into the conviction and sentence in the case. Continue reading...
Brewers shell Mariners 22-0, tied for largest shutout win in 139 years
Milwaukee match record dating back to 1887 season Yelich, Hamilton and Lara hit three-run home runs Catcher Sánchez completes five-hitter with slowballs The Milwaukee Brewers matched baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout, beating the Seattle Mariners 22-0 on Tuesday night behind three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and Luis Lara and a two-run shot by Jake Bauers. The major league-best Brewers (78-48) matched a franchise record for runs in a game. Continue reading...
Trump hits pause on Canada tariffs threat, and hints at revival of Keystone XL oil pipeline project
US president delays 50% tariffs by three days, and says contentious oil project ‘may be awoken from the grave’ Canada has temporarily avoided a bruising 50% US tariff, reaching a Tuesday evening agreement with Trump officials, hours before a hike that would have affected $20bn worth of goods was set to take effect. Trump posted late Tuesday on social media that he had paused the tariffs for three days “based on the fact that Canada and the USA, subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Continue reading...
Multiple brawls overshadow Saints-Cowboys joint practice session
Saints’ Bell alert as he was driven from the field At least six fights mar joint practice at training camp Donovan Ezeiruaku ejected for throwing punches New Orleans wide receiver Ronnie Bell was carted off the field because of the effects of Southern California heat after being involved in one of several fights during a chippy joint practice between the Saints and Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday. “He just had to go inside for a little bit. He just got a little bit overheated,” New Orleans coach Kellen Moore said. Continue reading...
First Nations MP resigns from NT parliament, accusing government of passing laws which are ‘dehumanising, oppressing and destroying” Indigenous people
Yolŋu independent Yiŋiya Guyula accused the CLP of ‘contributing to the breakdown of our culture and people, in what is becoming a slow genocide’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A First Nations MP from the Northern Territory has resigned from parliament, accusing the ruling Country Liberal party of introducing laws that are “dehumanising, oppressing and destroying our communities and our people”, and contributing to a breakdown of culture that he says is “becoming a slow genocide”. Yiŋiya Guyula, a Yolŋu man from the Djambarrpuyŋu clan in east Arnhem Land, was elected as the independent member for Nhulunbuy, now known as Mulka, in 2016. Continue reading...
US-led drills to end six days early, South Korea says, amid Trump push for Kim Jong-un talks
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end on 21 August at the request of the US South Korea’s military has confirmed that joint military drills with the US will be cut short, days after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the exercises. In a statement on Wednesday, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said at the request of the US side, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise – which began on Monday would end on Friday, six days earlier than originally planned. Continue reading...
‘Prepare early’: bushfire authorities sound alarm for NT, NSW and Queensland
Effects of global heating in NT worsened by ‘dangerous and fire-promoting buffel grass’, expert says Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Fire authorities have warned large parts of the Northern Territory are facing heightened fire danger throughout spring, with above average fuel loads leaving much of the territory vulnerable. Low soil moisture has also led to elevated fire risk for parts of New South Wales, including some areas that were badly burned during the black summer fires, and south-east Queensland as an El Niño system continues to strengthen in the country’s south-east. Continue reading...
Democratic socialist Angie Nixon clinches surprise primary win in Florida US Senate race
Nixon bested Alexander Vindman to win Democratic nomination and now faces Republican Ashley Moody in November In an upset for the Democratic establishment, progressive Angie Nixon won the party’s US Senate primary in Florida, beating former army intelligence officer Alexander Vindman. Nixon, a state representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, had significantly less funding going into the primary – with $975,000 to Vindman’s $16.3m at the end of July, according to Florida Politics . Continue reading...
Erin Patterson appeal live: mushroom murderer to challenge convictions over fatal beef wellington lunch
Victorian court of appeal to consider whether triple murder and attempted murder guilty verdicts should be quashed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The sole surviving lunch guest, Ian Wilkinson , is in the courtroom this morning. Wilkinson is joined by his daughter, Ruth Dubois . I make an offer of forgiveness to Erin. In regards to the murders of Heather and Gail and Don , I am compelled to seek justice. Continue reading...
Trump-backed Byron Donalds wins Republican primary in race to succeed Florida governor DeSantis
Congressman had pledged to implement president’s agenda if he gained governor’s seat Primary voters in Florida backed a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump to stand as the party’s candidate in the race to succeed Ron DeSantis as the state’s governor. Byron Donalds, a congressman representing south-west Florida since 2021, won the nomination by trouncing three reasonably prominent Republican rivals, including Jay Collins, DeSantis’s handpicked lieutenant governor. Continue reading...
Jon Ossoff condemns Trump as ‘draft-dodging, crook president’
Democratic senator intensifies White House feud after remarks about ‘Natalie’ drew ire of president and allies Democratic senator Jon Ossoff called Donald Trump a “draft-dodging, crook president” while defending senator Mark Kelly as a hero during a Tuesday campaign appearance in Georgia, escalating his public feud with the US president. “I don’t think anything illustrates the times more aptly than that the draft-dodging, crook president, who has plunged our nation recklessly into a war he knows not how to end or to win, tried to imprison this man, who embodies American heroism,” Ossoff said while appearing alongside Kelly and his wife, the former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Continue reading...
Boyfriend of Hayden Panettiere was at apartment when actor died
Police report shows Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at Greenville, South Carolina, residence Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were at the South Carolina apartment where the actor died over the weekend , according to a police report released on Tuesday. A Greenville police officer who responded to the residence on Sunday afternoon was met by the brothers and then observed paramedics performing CPR on an unresponsive woman, the report states. Continue reading...
Do not cut benefits for disabled young people, dozens of UK charities urge ministers
More than 40 charities write to Pat McFadden and review head Alan Milburn over fears of stricter eligibility rules More than 40 of the UK’s leading charities have warned ministers against imposing tougher benefit sanctions or cuts on disabled young people, as the government considers how to encourage more young people into work. The charities raised concerns that an imminent review of young people and work by Alan Milburn could bring in stricter eligibility rules for keeping disability benefits – or remove them altogether – as part of a wider plan to boost flagging youth job rates. Continue reading...
Poor sleep can cost over-50s nine months of career, study finds
Findings highlight importance of sleep health during middle age, particularly for those with lower socioeconomic status Sleep that is extremely disrupted or that goes on too long could mean a loss of nine months from working life after the age of 50, a study has found. It also found that women with no sleep disturbances had a longer working life from 50 to 68 than their male equivalents. Continue reading...
Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds
Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution was restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone Children’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found. Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had been stunted by exposure to pollution. Continue reading...
Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister calls for wartime presidential election
Mykhailo Fedorov’s appeal is most direct challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russian invasion in 2022 Ukraine’s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The politician, whose abrupt sacking last month triggered a wave of protests, said that Ukraine had to “restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war” in a video address released online late on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...
Preservation group urges supreme court to suspend Trump White House ballroom project
National Trust for Historic Preservation filing comes after president made emergency bid for construction to continue A historic preservation group that sued to block construction of Donald Trump’s White House ballroom urged the US supreme court on Tuesday to suspend the project while it considers whether the work can continue. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its request less than a week after the Trump administration asked the nation’s highest court to allow the White House to continue construction on its $400m ballroom project during the appeals process. Continue reading...
GPs’ advice service is causing cancer diagnoses to be missed, inquiry finds
Advice and guidance services for doctors in England found to be creating risk of missed or late detection of illness Cancer diagnoses have been missed or delayed because of a system designed for GPs to seek specialist advice before referring patients to hospital, according to an investigation. The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) identified patient risks linked to how advice and guidance (A+G) services have been implemented across England. Continue reading...
Harvard to pay $53m over theft and sale of human remains from medical school
Cedric Lodge, 58, sentenced in December to eight years in prison for stealing and selling body parts in national scheme Harvard University has agreed to pay a $53m settlement to resolve civil lawsuits stemming from the illegal theft and sale of human remains that had been donated to its medical school for scientific research. A former Harvard medical school morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, 58, was sentenced in December last year to eight years in prison after he had pleaded guilty in May to stealing and selling human body parts in a nationwide scheme. Prosecutors said this had involved the theft and sale of organs, skin, brains and dissected heads from cadavers donated to Harvard from 2018 through at least March 2020. Continue reading...