Pollen season in UK and mainland Europe extended by climate breakdown

Program portrayed efforts to wean Australia off fossil fuels as morally bankrupt, trashing rainforests and enslaving Australia to ChinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren sieve mud, workers drop down claustrophobic hand-cut mine shafts, men grimace while others carve out rock with chisels in bare feet to recover cobalt “for our renewable green dream”.These were the dramatic scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a “special investigation” from Channel Seven’s Spotlight program, aired in prime-time on Sunday evening. Continue reading...

Annual March rate adds to pressure on household finances and follows warnings of slowdown to UK economyUK inflation rose by 3.3% in March amid the surge in fuel prices for motorists triggered by the Iran war.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the consumer prices index increased last month from 3% in February, adding to pressure on household finances already battered by a cost of living crisis. The rise matched City economists’s forecast of an increase to 3.3%. Continue reading...

Human rights groups have warned that the collective prosecutions violate due process and block defendants from accessing legal counselA Salvadoran court on Tuesday began a collective trial of 486 alleged gang members, in one of the biggest mass trials under president Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence through controversial emergency powers.Prosecutors say the charges against alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, span more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that was El Salvador’s bloodiest since its civil war. Continue reading...

Wilson is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes over social media posts alleging a sexual harassment complaintFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn actor accusing Rebel Wilson of damaging her career secured a $150,000 record deal with a publicist representing international superstars amid the feud with Wilson.Charlotte MacInnes is suing the Pitch Perfect actor over social media posts claiming MacInnes complained about feeling uncomfortable after bathing with Wilson’s co-producer on musical film The Deb, Amanda Ghost. Continue reading...

Senior manager at supermarket giant gives evidence on day two of case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA senior Woolworths executive has defended relaxing rules designed to protect shoppers from misleading discounts by preventing the supermarket or suppliers from “gaming” the “Prices Dropped” promotional program.Woolworths’ chief commercial officer, Paul Harker, gave evidence on the second day of a landmark trial between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Woolworths in the federal court on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024Democracy is under mounting threat from the climate crisis, with new analysis documenting how elections are increasingly shaped not only by political forces but also by floods, wildfires and extreme weather.At least 94 elections and referendums across 52 countries have been disrupted by climate-related impacts over the last two decades, researchers found. Continue reading...

Officials warn a conflict situation could cause disruption similar to recent major ransomware incidentsThe UK could face “hacktivist attacks at scale” if it becomes embroiled in a conflict and the impact could be similar to recent high-profile ransomware incidents, according to the head of the country’s online security agency.Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC deals with. Continue reading...

Sacked civil servant acknowledges ‘debate’ about release of documents after question about alleged ‘cover-up’Olly Robbins responded to a question about an alleged “cover-up” on Tuesday by confirming that government officials had considered withholding Peter Mandelson’s secretive vetting documents from parliament.Robbins, who was sacked by Keir Starmer as the Foreign Office’s top civil servant last week, appeared to confirm a report in the Guardian that senior officials were debating whether to withhold from parliament sensitive documents that revealed the vetting agency did not believe Mandelson should get clearance. Continue reading...

Federal health minister Mark Butler announces major changes and says scheme is costing ‘too much and is growing too fast’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt least 160,000 people are expected to be removed from the National Disability Insurance Scheme by 2030, as the Albanese government looks to claw back savings by changing who can access the scheme.The health minister, Mark Butler, also announced on Wednesday the $50bn scheme’s growth rate will be brought down to just 2% every year until 2030 in an effort to curb annual plan inflation and produce billions in savings before the 12 May federal budget. Continue reading...

Two staff suspended after damning review finds department was warned last December that triple murderer Regina Arthurell was living in the homeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo staff members in the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice have been suspended following a review into why two foster children went to live with a convicted triple killer.The review, which was made public on Wednesday, found “significant failures” by the department led to foster children aged 12 and 14 living alongside convicted murderer Regina Arthurell until her removal from the home last month. Continue reading...

Experts say Muslims and other minorities have been disproportionately deleted from the electoral roll ahead of the West Bengal elections this weekMillions of people in the Indian state of West Bengal have been stripped of their vote ahead of a critical state election this week, after a controversial electoral revision described by critics as a “bloodless political genocide” and mass disenfranchisement of minorities.In West Bengal, a total of 9.1 million names have been deleted from the register, more than 10% of the electorate. While many were dead or duplicates, about 2.7 million people have challenged their expulsions, but still been removed. Continue reading...

Calls for ‘urgent, sustained action’ over rising number of children who do not have permanent homeLiving in temporary accommodation has contributed to the deaths of 104 children in England in the past six years, 76 of whom were under the age of one, according to data.Statistics also show there were 64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths involving mothers living in temporary accommodation (TA) in the UK in 2024. Experts say the housing crisis is pushing families into conditions that endanger their lives. Continue reading...