Coalition denies flag-burning ban an attempt to undercut One Nation as Labor says push has ‘element of desperation’

• The world entered September 2026 facing a collection of wars and humanitarian emergencies, including a grave crisis in Sudan. • STL.News reports that numerous additional crises exist beneath headline conflicts that can worsen with little warning.

Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confessionThe twins were 19 and still in high school when they were taken from their beds in the dead of night by masked men later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.After four months of desperately seeking news from hospitals and state institutions, their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, finally learned their fate. Taraneh and Romina Rahimi had been seized over their decision to join millions on the streets of Iranian cities during the January protests against the regime. The twins were unrecognisable by the time of their mother’s prison visit in May. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Tan Dhesi says Argentinian threats make it more crucial than ever that PM increase defence spendingJavier Milei’s threats to the Falkland Islands make it even more important that Andy Burnham increase defence spending immediately, according to the Labour chair of the defence committee.Tan Dhesi said the comments by the Argentinian president this week show why the government should raise military spending to 3% of GDP by 2030. But he said Burnham’s plans remain mired in confusion after the prime minister appeared to reassure him that the 2030 target would be hit, only for Downing Street to later retreat. Continue reading...

Queensland capital forecast to hit 34C with local fire bans issued for Ipswich and Lockyer Valley, while Sydney sees reprieve from record heatGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEarly spring fire bans have been put in place as Australia’s eastern states reckon with unseasonably hot conditions for the start of the season.The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warned of unseasonal heat in the low to mid-30s in north-eastern New South Wales and south-east Queensland. Continue reading...

Police received information nearly immediately after the killing. It took Las Vegas police 27 years to make an arrestFor years, US law enforcement officials blamed their failure to solve hip-hop star Tupac Shakur’s murder on the lack of cooperation from key witnesses, and on gang members’ “snitches get stitches” culture.But testimony in a much-delayed murder trial, which concluded this week, almost 30 years after Shakur’s death, highlighted just how much law enforcement officials knew about the shooting, and how early. Continue reading...

Sources indicate some members states will not enforce EES biometric controls after 6 September deadlineWhat are the new EU border checks and how will they affect your holiday?Travellers to the EU could face renewed border queues as flexibility measures for the bloc’s entry-exit system officially come to an end – although numerous sources have indicated that some member states will not enforce biometric checks.Airlines last week called on the European Commission to extend discretionary powers to pause EES controls when necessary until the end of 2026, with the deadline for “flexibility” passing on 6 September. Continue reading...

Serhii Beskrestnov says deadlock on frontline and increasing use of deep strikes is placing civilians and infrastructure at greater riskRussia and Ukraine are locked in an escalating war of long-range strikes with a growing risk to civilians in which neither side can entirely prevail, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s defence technology adviser.Serhii Beskrestnov, widely known by his call sign, Flash, said he was worried about the prospects for Kyiv this winter, and suggested elderly people should be evacuated in case Russian bombing were to knock out the capital’s energy supply. Continue reading...

Anika Wells expected to release legislation creating a digital duty of care in parliament this week, but Coalition argues it is ‘attempt to censor the internet’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter hereLabor’s plan to crack down on social media algorithms faces significant opposition in federal parliament, with the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, warning against efforts by the government to “censor” free speech online.The communications minister, Anika Wells, is expected to release draft legislation creating a digital duty of care for social media users in Australia as parliament returns this week.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...

Police search for alleged attacker, in his 50s, after incident in Gippsland town of TyersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree people have been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after an alleged axe attack in Victoria, with police still searching for the suspect.. Continue reading...

Preservationists worry board may seize on incident ‘to make the point that the whole thing needs to be shut down’Falling debris from a ceiling in the grand foyer of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts may have complicated a battle over renovations of the Washington DC arts center that could result in the building being demolished.A portion of the ceiling collapsed on Friday evening after heavy rain swept through the area, prompting officials to temporarily close the Edward Durell Stone-designed building. No one was injured by the debris. Continue reading...

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore money for the Western FreewayThe Victorian government has committed another $550m to the upgrade of the Western Freeway.We have listened to the community. Better local roads in growing areas are my priority.I want to help working people in the west spend less time on the road and more time where they need to be.Temperatures this spring will average as much as three degrees above the baseline from recent decades, potentially the hottest spring on record. Continue reading...