Controversial NDIS bill passes Senate with ‘substantial’ amendments as Labor and Coalition strike deal

Forecasters say intense showers might cause flooding as rain falls on dry, hard groundFloods and drought could hit the UK at the same time this week, with heavy rain forecast to fall on hard, parched soil.While some parts of the UK will have the “first meaningful rain for a long time” in the coming days, it will not reverse widespread drought conditions that have put pressure on wildlife, farmers, firefighters and water resources. Continue reading...

Country’s second fatal school shooting in two months took place in southern city of ⁠Zamboanga A student livestreamed himself shooting and killing another pupil in a classroom in the southern Philippines before taking his own ⁠life, ​the second school attack in the country in less than two months.The shooting took ⁠place at a school attached to Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern city of ⁠Zamboanga, a Catholic private institution in western Mindanao. Zamboanga city’s mayor, Khymer Adan Olaso, told the DZMM radio station that the ‌shooter “managed to enter carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45-calibre pistol”. Continue reading...

Government assessment warns of supply shock that could leave homes and businesses without gas within a decadeGreat Britain risks running out of gas in the 2030s despite its growing clean energy sources, unless ministers take “unprecedented” action to guard against a future gas supply shock, according to an official assessment of the country’s gas security.The government is considering plans to provide direct financial support to safeguard the country’s ageing gas infrastructure after a consultation found that a “high stress scenario” could mean homes and businesses run out of gas within the next decade. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson writes to watchdog asking it to look into claims Tether.bet and Fispay operated without a licenceThe Gambling Commission has been urged to investigate claims that companies linked to Reform UK donors and allies of Nigel Farage have been operating without a licence.The Labour party’s chair, Bridget Phillipson, has written to the watchdog asking it to look into Tether.bet, a Montenegro-based gambling company, and Fispay, a UK company owned by Reform’s data protection officer, Mowbray Jackson.Whether Tether.bet, and its operators, provided or advertised remote gambling facilities to consumers in UK without the required licenceWhether Fispay Ltd, or any other UK company, provided or supported gambling facilities or services to consumers in the UK without the required licence.” Continue reading...

UKHSA rules out British produce as source of infections and says evidence points to consumption of imported eggsOne person has died and more than 200 others have fallen ill during a UK-wide outbreak of salmonella that health officials have linked to the consumption of imported eggs.The 207 people affected range in age from under one year to 90 years old, according to the UK Health Security Agency, which is leading an investigation into the outbreak. Continue reading...

Lee Jae Myung reiterates desire for full command back in Seoul’s hands after Donald Trump cuts joint exercises, citing warm ties with Kim Jong-un‘Inane, haphazard decision’ by Trump to gut South Korea allianceSouth Korea’s president ⁠has renewed his push to regain independent control of the military from the US in the event of war and urged faster progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines after Donald Trump’s order to cut joint drills.On Sunday night, Trump instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” this week’s joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the nuclear-armed North “has been unthreatening and respectful” and that the US president had a “very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”. Continue reading...

Lyndel Ningella was last seen leaving home in Butler on Saturday evening prompting concerns about her safetyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWestern Australia police have appealed for help in finding a 10-year-old girl who went missing from Perth’s outer northern suburbs on Saturday.Lyndel Ningella has not been seen since early Saturday evening when police said the young girl was seen leaving a home in Butler at about 5:45pm on 15 August. Continue reading...

Prime minister responds to Russian anger over Kyiv’s use of British-made drones in ‘deep strike’ campaignUK politics live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesAndy Burnham says the UK will continue to “support Ukraine 100%” after Russia threatened consequences after strikes by British-made drones.The Russian embassy to the UK said on Monday that Britain had been deliberately escalating the Ukraine conflict and the deeper its involvement, “the higher the price it will pay”. Continue reading...

Club’s board meets on Tuesday night to decide penalties after league boss calls reports ‘deeply concerning’The Sydney Swans AFL club will decide on sanctions for players for “serious breach” of standards over an incident that led to a report of sexual assault.Victorian police on Tuesday confirmed the sexual crimes squad was investigating a reported sexual assault at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel early on Monday morning. No arrests have been made and no charges have been laid. Continue reading...

US president’s abrupt order to scale back joint exercises with Seoul is meant to ‘flatter’ North Korea’s dictator, top Democrat saysDonald Trump’s move to gut Washington’s 73-year-old military alliance with Seoul has been called “inane” and “shortsighted” as lawmakers warned it risked strengthening Russia’s hand in Ukraine.The US president abruptly ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea just days after North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles, justifying the decision by citing his “very good relationship” with Kim Jong-un, the nuclear-armed dictator such exercises exist to deter. Continue reading...

All the days news as it unfoldedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChalmers calls gambling amendments ‘very substantial changes’Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the opt-out register on gambling advertising will be revenue neutral, because the gambling industry will have to cover the costs.These changes that we’re proposing are very substantial changes. And they will make it much easier for people to opt out of this advertising. At the same time, as we make it easier for the regulator to enforce the rules around inducements.I understand people’s concern about inducements. And the minister and the government does as well. I think primarily there’s an important role for the regulator to crack down on and enforce these inducements.There’s absolutely no doubt that the implementation of the reforms has made everything worse for older Australians … the government’s got a lot to do to fix the implementation of these once-in-a-generation reforms that should have and could have and still can be what they were intended to be, but they just aren’t being rolled out like that.If the automation that we’re seeing in aged care is transferred over into the NDIS, yes I have very serious concerns about that. We saw 250,000 older Australians reassessed under aged care.Are we talking over 750,000 Australians who live with disability who possibly need to be reassessed? If they’ve got an algorithm that’s as botched as the one we’ve got in aged care, well we would have very serious concerns and certainly we’ll be raising those matters. Continue reading...