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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Now you seafood, now you don’t: $350k worth of oysters vanish without a trace in NSW
About 400,000 juvenile Sydney rock oysters were taken from an oyster farm on state’s mid-north coast earlier this year, police say Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Police are on the hunt for a seafood swindler after 400,000 oysters were allegedly stolen from a farm at a river on the New South Wales mid-north coast. About 320 bags of juvenile oysters, worth an estimated $350,000, were taken from an oyster farm in Scotts Creek, Oxley Island, earlier this year, according to NSW police. Continue reading...
Burnham to announce plan for 10,000 work experience placements for young people – UK politics live
Prime minister to speak to press this morning while on visit to Sainsbury’s supermarket Miatta Fahnbulleh , the energy sectary, said the government will explore “what more we can do” to help those struggling with high bills, via “fundamental reforms” including investment in renewable energy. Families will be understandably concerned about the cost of energy bills this winter, which is being driven up by the Iran war. Energy is an everyday essential and it needs to be affordable for everyone, which is why we have cut VAT on electricity bills from October, to give families some breathing space. If you look at energy bills, if you look at how much of a family’s finances it is taking up, it is far too expensive. So, whether that is short-term support that we’re providing to provide a bit of breathing space, which is what the government has done and will continue looking at that, or more fundamental reforms that we need to make to the energy market to drive down bills for good, we are absolutely determined to do that. Continue reading...
At least 14 newborn babies die in fire at Pakistan hospital’s maternity ward
Authorities at biggest state hospital in Islamabad say 15 babies were in the ward when fire broke out At least 14 newborn babies have died in a fire that broke out in the maternity ward at one of Pakistan’s most prominent state hospitals. The blaze began in the early hours of Wednesday and engulfed the ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the biggest state hospital in Islamabad. Continue reading...
Heatwaves show UK must do more to promote cycling and walking, campaigners say
Civil society groups argue climate crisis means transport sector needs to urgently reduce its carbon emissions Dozens of civil society groups have demanded the UK government do more to promote cycling and walking, after this summer’s extreme heat exposed the desperate need to decarbonise transport. This summer’s heatwaves and wildfires were “immediate, real-world manifestations of the climate emergency”, the groups said, making reform of transport – responsible for more carbon emissions than any other sector in the UK – an urgent priority. Continue reading...
With no friends left to burn, Trump is running out of diplomatic ammunition | Rafael Behr
Everyone can see that the Iran war has been a strategic disaster for the US, while a failing president pretends he is winning Now is the twilight of Donald Trump’s supremacy. The US is still the richest and most heavily armed nation on Earth. That status is secure. The current president, contemptuous of law and indulged in lawlessness by a supine Congress, enjoys even greater power than the constitution allows. With those advantages it takes a special talent for incompetence to look as thwarted and impotent as Trump does with more than two years of his second term still to run. Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Fears grow for fourth rate hike after higher than expected July inflation rate
ABS says CPI was 3.5% in July, casting doubt on Reserve Bank meeting its 2.5% inflation target without further hike Fears are growing that the Reserve Bank will hit millions of mortgage holders with a fourth rate hike this year, after inflation eased in July but by far less than expected. Consumer prices climbed by 3.5% through the year, down from 3.8% in the previous month, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Continue reading...
Labour’s energy bills crisis is getting worse. Political honesty is essential | Nils Pratley
Ofgem and ministers should be transparent about why energy bills for households are expected to stay stubbornly high Britons face highest price cap in three years as energy bills rise 4% from October Another Ofgem energy price cap day, another increase in bills . Miatta Fahnbulleh, the new energy secretary, can blame the usual culprit on Wednesday – the fossil fuel price “rollercoaster”, given a shove this time by Donald Trump’s Middle East misadventure. Higher gas prices will indeed be the main quarter-on-quarter reason why bills stand at a three-year high on a unit basis. But there is more to the tale on a longer view. Even when the gas rollercoaster dips downwards, the energy industry’s medium-term projections suggest bills will not fall meaningfully. Continue reading...
Britons to face highest price cap in three years as energy bills rise 4% from October
Households in Great Britain will pay equivalent of £1,723 a year, prompting calls for more support Millions of households in Great Britain will face the highest energy charges in three years this winter after months of soaring market prices caused the government’s price cap to rise for a second time in three months. Gas and electricity prices will rise by 4% from October under the new energy price cap, months after climbing 13% at the start of July to take account of soaring global energy market prices caused by the war on Iran. Continue reading...
Raygun opens up on her infamous Olympics breakdancing debut: ‘not as bad as I thought!’
Australia’s first Olympic breakdancer became a viral sensation after her performance at Paris ‘24, where she failed to receive a single point Rachael “Raygun” Gunn says her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics was “not as bad as I thought!” after the Sydney-based breakdancer revealed she had finally watched back the moment that catapulted her to international fame – and mockery. The Sydney academic turned speaker was Australia’s first Olympic breakdancer and became a viral sensation after her unconventional routine at Paris 2024, where she failed to receive a single point from the judges. Continue reading...
Wednesday briefing: How Canada has turned a trade dispute into a defence of its sovereignty
In today’s newsletter: A collapsing trade deal has united Canadians more than ever, in an existential confrontation with the US president Good morning. When the Guardian asked Canadian readers whether they planned to boycott US products after dramatic escalations in the ongoing DC/Ottawa trade war, we received more than 2,000 responses within 12 hours. This inundation is perhaps evidence of the existential crisis many Canadians feel they now face, something often lost in the granular reporting of trade negotiations: this is about so much more than the price of lumber. US news | Dolly Parton, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in country music who was also much cherished for her philanthropy, has died aged 80 . UK news | UK citizens will be told to stock up on tinned food and take steps to ensure they are prepared for national emergencies as part of a new government campaign to improve the nation’s resilience. UK politics | Andy Burnham will face an immediate test of his backing for electoral reform in his first week in parliament as prime minister, with almost 100 Labour MPs supporting a bid for a new national commission. Ukraine | A man from South Yorkshire is believed to be the first British citizen to die fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine. Climate crisis | The carbon emissions from just two planned datacentres in England will exceed all of the fossil fuel company ExxonMobil’s UK emissions , analysis has revealed. Continue reading...
Teenage girl allegedly raped in ‘heinous’ attack at Queensland residential care home
State’s child safety minister Amanda Camm confirms police are investigating alleged attack west of Brisbane A Queensland teenager has allegedly been raped in a state-funded residential care home in what has been described as a “heinous” act. A staff member is accused of assaulting the girl, who is understood to be intellectually impaired, at the home west of Brisbane. Continue reading...
Two years in limbo: the residents still paying mortgages on flats destroyed in east London fire
Spectrum Building leaseholders awaiting payouts after freeholder, Arinium, went bankrupt shortly after 2024 blaze Sarah Williams vividly remembers the night in 2016 when she camped overnight in a car park to put down a deposit on a flat in the newly completed Spectrum Building in Dagenham, east London. “People started queuing for those flats 24 hours before they went on sale,” she said. “It was basically the only flat I could afford in London. This was a year before Grenfell, and the flats market in London was completely crazy.” Continue reading...
Iran seeks to criminalise all contact with foreign media in latest ‘chilling’ crackdown
As photojournalist sentenced to 15 years, rights groups warn law would turn civic engagement into security crime Iran has taken the first step towards criminalising contact with foreign media, in a move human rights groups have said attempts to “sever the entire Iranian society from the rest of the world”. For journalists, researchers and even ordinary citizens, the proposed law being discussed by Iranian lawmakers this month could make speaking to international audiences and groups a potential criminal act and restrict coverage of events such as January’s mass anti-regime protests . Continue reading...
Is the Trump Treasury panicking over the level of US debt?
With the federal deficit near 6% of GDP and the national debt over $40tn, America’s fiscal position looks increasingly precarious Bessent ‘will lose’ battle with bond markets, ex-mentor warns Are we seeing the first signs of panic in Donald Trump’s Treasury? The US is by far the world’s biggest debtor, and the steady rise in global long-term interest rates – which I have long argued was inevitable – is starting to cause real pain. Until now, the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has dismissed concerns about US debt, which recently surpassed $40tn , as a big nothingburger. Growth, in his telling, will be so spectacular the US will easily be able to meet its interest obligations without any significant tax rises or spending cuts, while the rest of the world will happily keep feeding it money. But if Bessent really believes that, why is he trying to strong-arm the bond market by fiddling with the maturity structure of government debt? Continue reading...
National lottery faces questions over new boss’s record in gambling industry
MPs tell regulator they are ‘deeply concerned’ over interim CEO Phil Walker’s roles at William Hill and Game Nation The national lottery is facing questions over its new boss’s record in the gambling industry, including a lucrative role in the 24-hour slot machine sector singled out by the prime minister as a blight on British high streets. Allwyn UK, which holds a licence to run the Lottery until 2034, said last week that it had appointed William Hill’s former UK and Ireland boss Phil Walker as its interim chief executive, replacing Andria Vidler. Continue reading...
Autism and ADHD care complaints more than triple in five years in England
NHS ombudsman warns of years-long waits and patients paying thousands to go private as demand for services soars Complaints about autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services in England have more than tripled in five years, official figures show, with the NHS ombudsman warning of years-long waits and patients paying thousands of pounds for private care. One woman was removed from an ADHD medication waiting list without warning after almost four years, leaving her without the support she needed for about six months. Another patient was given an autism assessment lasting just 50 minutes that failed to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, while a man referred to an ADHD service that was not yet operational ended up paying almost £4,000 for private treatment. Continue reading...
Two Dan Sullivans to appear on Alaska’s US Senate ballot in November’s midterm elections
The incumbent senator Dan S Sullivan has condemned ex-school teacher Dan J Sullivan, claiming he is running at the behest of Democrats to confuse supporters Republican senator Dan S Sullivan will be joined on the November ballot in Alaska by a challenger with a nearly identical name from the same party, election officials confirmed on Tuesday, adding a twist to what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races of the midterms. The Republican senator is running for a third term against Democrat Mary Peltola , a former US House representative whom polls show is neck-and-neck with him in a state that hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 2008. Continue reading...
Call to ban marmot hunting in France as campaigners say they are ‘killed for fun’
Protests and petitions planned amid growing concerns over impact of climate crisis on numbers of Alpine rodent Animal rights campaigners are gearing up for protests and petitions aimed at persuading the French government to ban the hunting of Alpine marmots. Open season on the rodents, members of the squirrel and groundhog family, begins in September, a few weeks before they go into a long winter hibernation. Continue reading...
Man on trial for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder claims he was framed
Yorgen Fenech tells jury he had nothing to do with killing and alleges top adviser to Malta’s then PM was instigator A businessman on trial for the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has spoken about the charges for the first time in court since his arrest seven years ago, telling the jury he was framed by police and had nothing to do with the killing. During four days of questioning by defence and the prosecution lawyers, Yorgen Fenech, 44, accused the most senior adviser to Malta’s prime minister of giving the go-ahead for the murder. Continue reading...
Iran faces strait of Hormuz paradox as strategic value of chokehold erodes
Internal calls to end war get louder as Gulf neighbours plan alternative pipelines to cut reliance on waterway Is the strait of Hormuz, recently cited by the office of the Iranian supreme leader as “the pillar of Iran’s new security order”, and as transformative as possessing a nuclear weapon, in reality becoming a fast-diminishing asset, leaving Iran increasingly vulnerable to the new planned US wave of economic sanctions? It is the key debate that is raging inside Iran, with many different conclusions being drawn for Tehran’s negotiating strategy. Those who warn the strait’s value as a chokehold on the world economy will erode, leaving the country without foreign exchange reserves, argue that Iran’s negotiators should seek a deal soon. Continue reading...
Antisemitism royal commission ends hearings but delays report to avoid ‘distraction’ from Bondi anniversary
Commissioner Virginia Bell resists push to extend antisemitism inquiry noting need for timely recommendations Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Commissioner Virginia Bell says she will delay – by four days – handing down her final report into antisemitism and social cohesion, in order not to distract from commemorations of the Bondi terror attack. On Wednesday, the last day of public hearings of the royal commission, Bell resisted a public push to extend the commission’s work. Continue reading...
Fears for ‘gregarious’ local celebrity Sammy the elephant seal in Victorian bird flu hotspot
Seals and sea lions often communicate by touch and share spaces with wild birds, placing them at risk of infection from H5N1 virus Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Since H5 bird flu arrived in Portland, Victoria, the situation has been “pretty grim” with many dead and suffering birds on the beach, and the dilemma of how to dispose of the carcasses, according to local resident Lynn Murrell. But since the first confirmed case in a fur seal on Sunday at Beachport, South Australia – a two-hour trip over the border – people have been worried for their local “pet seal”, known as Sammy. Continue reading...
Typhoon Narra: record flood waters submerge homes and force mass evacuations in China
Heavy rain expected in parts of Vietnam and southern China, as another storm system, Typhoon Saudel, heads for Japan and Taiwan Widespread flooding triggered by Typhoon Narra has submerged homes and forced mass evacuations in southern China, as another storm system tracked towards Japan and Taiwan. Authorities in Chongzuo, in China’s Guangxi region – famous for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains – on Tuesday evacuated more than 15,000 people after water levels surpassed a record high set in 2008. Continue reading...
Productivity Commission says ‘line was crossed’ when WA premier labelled them ‘east coast clowns’ over GST
Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner, also said it was ‘disappointing’ that Anthony Albanese had ruled out changes to Western Australia’s GST arrangements The Productivity Commission has slammed attacks on its integrity as “unacceptable”, after its scathing assessment of Western Australia’s sweetheart GST deal as a costly mistake sparked a fierce political backlash and name-calling. Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner and co-author of the report, said the country’s leading independent economic advisory body welcomed criticism and comments on its work. Continue reading...