Politics — Pete

The Guardian — Politics Sep 1 · 5 min read

‘Alarm bells were going off’: parents tell of ordeal at Send school closed down after abuse allegations

Annette and Kevin Maxwell say children with special needs have become moneymaking tool for private companies Annette and Kevin Maxwell were nervous about sending their son Jonah to a residential home for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). Jonah has severe autism – he is non-verbal, has epilepsy and behavioural problems and needs round-the-clock care. “It was a huge decision, but we almost had no choice because with Jonah at home, you can’t work and we had two other children to think about. He’s beautiful, but he is very, very complicated,” said Annette. “Outsourcing parenting is just foreign to us and it’s horrible, but we didn’t have another option.” Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 7 min read

Tuesday briefing: Scotland has promised on violence against women – now it needs to deliver

In today’s newsletter: First minister John Swinney has pledged to put an end to violence against women and girls. But can he turn ambitious laws into real change? Good morning. Violence against women and girls, in all its myriad forms – physical and mental, blatant and insidious – is a global challenge. It reaches back through millennia and, lately, it has been turbo-charged by technology, which offers abusers new ways to shame, harass and monitor victims. What would it take to eradicate it? Scotland’s first minister John Swinney wants to find out. Today, he will set out his programme for government (the Holyrood equivalent of the King’s speech) , and Swinney surprised many when he pledged to put ending violence against women at the heart of his government’s ambitions for the coming year and beyond. Nepal-Tibet | Rescue teams are working to reach more than 900 missing hydropower workers, who are thought to be trapped in underground areas in Nepal, after the devastating flash floods. Iran | The new US sanctions campaign is expected to push many Iranians into deeper poverty as food inflation soars. UK | The British Museum privately hosted Palantir founder Peter Thiel in a private viewing of the Bayeux tapestry, the Guardian understands. Slavery | Countries are legally obliged to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave tried, and address the legacy racial discrimination, a UN committee has said. US news | A Las Vegas jury has found former South Side Compton Crips gang leader Duane Keith Davis guilty of the murder of Tupac Shakur , bringing the case to a close nearly 30 years after the famous rapper was gunned down. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 2 min read

Relief as Australian missing in Nepal-Tibet floods found alive

One of 43 unaccounted for Australians has been located in Tibet, Dfat says Australians missing in the Nepal floods: what we know so far An Australian believed to be missing after floods ravaged the Nepal-Tibet border last week has been found alive. The person made contact with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) on Tuesday from Tibet. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 2 min read

China warns of ‘consequences’ over Taiwan presence at Pacific Islands Forum

Beijing-Taipei tensions a feature at meeting in Palau, with Australia and New Zealand saying the forum – not another country – will determine who attends China ⁠said it had serious concerns ⁠about Taiwan’s presence at the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, warning of “consequences” after the democratically ruled island attended the group’s opening ceremony on Monday. China views Taiwan as its own territory, and China-Taiwan tensions have ⁠featured prominently at the meeting, which is intended to demonstrate regional unity. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 2 min read

Meal deal: meth found hidden inside McMuffin during a police car search in Western Australia

Police say the drugs were uncovered as part of ongoing investigations into illicit drugs in Broome A Western Australian man has been charged after police said they found approximately 3.5 grams of methylamphetamine in a ziplock bag wedged between the bacon and egg of a McMuffin meal during a car search. The arrest on 20 August was part of ongoing investigations into illicit drugs in Broome, in WA’s Kimberley region. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 3 min read

Rival Ray Hadley tells Alan Jones trial that alleged victim ‘broke down and sobbed’ when detailing assaults

Former 2GB and 2UE broadcaster Jones, 85, has denied 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges involving six men Broadcaster Ray Hadley has told a Sydney court that an alleged victim of Alan Jones confided in 2019 he’d been “sexually assaulted” by the fellow 2GB broadcaster on a number of occasions. “ He said [Jones] put his hand on my cock and kissed me,” Hadley told the Downing Centre local court on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 3 min read

Teenager pleads guilty to planning terrorist bombing targeting Opera House and Sydney marathon

Boy, 16, testifies he was radicalised on TikTok before connecting to extremists on Telegram Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A school student has testified about falling down a social media rabbit hole that led him to planning to bomb the Sydney Opera House in a terrorist attack. The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist act over the course of more than a month in 2024. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 3 min read

Price rises gather pace in UK shops amid higher energy costs

In-store inflation rises to an annual 1.5% in August, according to a survey for the British Retail Consortium The pace of price rises in UK shops rose to its highest level in two years in August, a trade body index shows, with higher energy costs pushing up the price of food and AI chip demand making technology more expensive . In-store inflation stepped up to 1.5% year on year in August, up from 0.9% in July, led by prices for tinned and packaged food which increased by 2.5% against 1.1% in the prior month, according to data from the research company NIQ for the British Retail Consortium. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 4 min read

Burnham warned running prison capacity near limit is ‘big risk’

U-turn on early release scheme will create ‘stresses and strains’ on prison system, says former justice secretary Andy Burnham is taking a “big risk” by seeking to continue running prison capacity to the limit, according to the former justice secretary appointed by Keir Starmer to oversee a review of sentencing. As parliament resumes on Tuesday, the government will confirm its U-turn on its early release scheme, which would have seen thousands of prisoners released early as part of a plan to ease prison overcrowding. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 5 min read

Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny

Exclusive: 7,280 suspected illegal spills in rivers and sea recorded in first five months of 2026 The number of suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into rivers and seas by water companies during dry weather increased significantly during the first five months of 2026. Dumping raw sewage into waterways during dry spells via overflows amounts to pollution. It is considered a breach of the permits given to water companies and is illegal. Discharging during dry weather increases the toxicity of the sewage pollution entering waterways. Rivers have less flow and volume, and there is no rainwater to dilute the sewage pollution entering the waterway. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 4 min read

Madrid residents brace for noise and disruption from new F1 circuit

City council emphasises economic case for Madring amid local outrage over disruption and environmental impact Opponents of Madrid’s newly constructed Formula One circuit have accused the regional authorities of putting profit before people’s wellbeing after tests for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the track later this month yielded noise levels that were almost twice the legal decibel limit. The regional government of Madrid and the city council are hoping that the 5.4km-long (3.3 miles) Madring circuit – which has been built in the north-east of the Spanish capital at a cost of €83m (£71m) – will attract visitors, boost the local economy and put the city firmly on the motor racing map. The Madring bills itself as “a perfectly connected circuit: just 20 minutes from the city centre”. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 3 min read

Child trust fund firms face review over efforts to find who owns £1.5bn worth of pots

Exclusive: FCA pressures firms to do more to sort 760,000 accounts as watchdog urges families to use free tracking service Child trust fund providers are being put under the spotlight to check they are treating savers fairly and doing all they can to reunite young people with lost accounts. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said about 760,000 accounts worth an average of £2,000 were yet to be claimed – more than £1.5bn in total – as it launched a review of the market. Continue reading...

The Guardian — Politics Sep 1 · 3 min read

John Healey invites October budget ideas from Treasury staff of all levels

Chancellor says he wants everyone from apprentices to senior economists to take part in brainstorming exercise John Healey has asked junior Treasury staff – including IT workers and apprentices – to send him ideas for his October budget, saying he will listen to all suggestions regardless of grade or profession. The chancellor’s unorthodox approach comes as he faces a tricky autumn with expected inflation rises, sluggish growth and potential cuts from other departments to fund extra defence spending. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 1 · 4 min read

Iceland’s close ties with EU mean no vote is not a Brexit-style rejection

A yes to membership would have given Brussels a boost but Icelanders have not voted to isolate themselves Iceland’s 52.8% to 47.2% vote against reopening EU accession talks is, undeniably, a blow for Brussels. But claiming it as a Brexit-style victory for “national sovereignty” or evidence of broad rejection of the EU misrepresents the reality of the island’s relationship with the bloc. For the EU, Iceland was a dream candidate: small, stable, prosperous and strategically located in an increasingly contested Arctic. Eager as it is to wield more geopolitical clout and revive flagging momentum around enlargement, a vote in favour would have given Brussels a very welcome boost. Continue reading...