Power bills to fall by up to 10% in July as renewables and batteries soar across Australia

Event organisers blame ‘unforeseen technical difficulties’ for the drone malfunction, with four performances cancelledFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAbout 90 drones have plummeted from the sky and plunged into Sydney’s Darling Harbour during an aerial drone show, prompting a second event to be cancelled later in the evening.Vivid Sydney said “unforeseen technical difficulties” occurred during Monday’s 7.30pm performance of the show, called Star-Bound, resulting in 89 drones falling into the water at Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour. No injuries have been reported. Continue reading...

Mining giant’s backsliding on climate commitments due to ‘weakness’ of policy, Kate Chaney saysAdam Morton: Big Mining gets a $4bn tax break to use fossil fuel. It’s a strange way to tackle emissionsRead more from the BHP files investigation hereGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s climate change minister, Chris Bowen, says he has made it “crystal clear” that he expects industrial polluters including BHP to reduce their onsite emissions after leaked documents revealed that the world’s biggest miner has backtracked on climate action.An exclusive investigation based on documents leaked to by the Guardian and the ABC show BHP has scrapped a project to significantly reduce global emissions, delayed vast renewables projects in the Pilbara and war-gamed options to push the electrification of its polluting diesel truck and train fleets into the next two decades. Continue reading...

Hezbollah and Israel launch attacks amid increasingly imperilled ceasefire and stalling talks between US and IranMiddle East crisis: live updatesThe Israeli army has intensified strikes in southern Lebanon, as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to escalate its offensive in an effort to “crush” Hezbollah in a further erosion of an already fragmented ceasefire.In turn, Hezbollah said it staged several attacks on Monday on three barracks and a military post in northern Israel “in response to the violation of the ceasefire” by Israel. Continue reading...

Campaigners, teenagers, legislators and experts give their opinions on the government’s social media consultation Change is coming for social media platforms. The UK government’s consultation on improving online safety for children will result in some form of action being taken against big tech. Even before the deadline for submissions has passed, ministers have pledged to introduce an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s or restrictions on “addictive” features such as infinite scrolling.There is overwhelming pressure from safety campaigners and MPs for a further crackdown on social media platforms, despite the introduction of the Online Safety Act, which requires tech firms to shield children from harmful content. The deadline for contributions is Tuesday night and the government has promised to act swiftly. Continue reading...

Head of Early Years Alliance says additional charges paid by parents represent ‘cross-subsidy’Parents of nursery children in England are being charged extra fees to cover for government underfunding of free childcare hours, with some paying thousands of pounds a year for consumables such as food, wipes and nappies, campaigners have said.The comments came as the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, asked the competition watchdog to investigate hidden extra charges that parents have encountered when trying to access government-funded childcare. Continue reading...

Australia now the world’s third-biggest nation for utility-scale batteries behind China and the US. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia has become a top-three global player in batteries, and renewable energy met nearly half of the nation’s power in 2025, but the Clean Energy Council has warned that progress could stall as investment in new wind and solar plummeted.The industry’s annual snapshot found renewable energy supplied 43% of Australia’s power throughout 2025, up from 39% in 2024. The year ended on a high, with clean energy generating more than 50% of power in the national grid in the final quarter.The next five years matter most. Our sector’s highest priority in 2026 must be to remove the barriers slowing investment in new large-scale wind and solar projects that will ultimately replace unreliable coal generators that threaten the security of our energy system. Continue reading...

Senior lawyers call on prime minister to request Indian prosecutors drop charges that would breach double jeopardy ruleFour senior lawyers, including the former attorney general Dominic Grieve, have written to Keir Starmer urging him to request that Indian prosecutors drop charges against the British national Jagtar Singh Johal on the basis that continued prosecution would be in manifest breach of the double jeopardy rule which prevents someone being tried twice for the same offence.Johal has been held in an Indian jail for eight years, and in March last year was acquitted of the terrorist charges laid against him in a court in Punjab. The court found the prosecutors had ‘miserably failed’ to present any reliable evidence, despite having had seven years to do so. Continue reading...

Former health secretary’s intervention comes as government closes consultation on age limits for social media platformsSocial media companies should be treated like the tobacco industry, Wes Streeting has argued, as he called for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms.Speaking publicly about the prospect of a ban for the first time since he left government, the former health secretary said one was needed because large technology companies were trying to dodge regulations. Continue reading...

Netanyahu’s joint war with the US began with talk of regime change in Tehran but may leave him with few strategic gainsMiddle East live – latest updatesWhen Donald Trump launched a pre-emptive war on Iran with Israel in February, many in the country hailed the campaign as the crowning triumph of Benjamin Netanyahu’s political and diplomatic career.Three months on the regime is still in power in Tehran, Trump is chasing a deal that will reopen the strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, and the reported terms have provoked alarm, dismay and anger in Israel. Continue reading...

Police launch murder investigation after incident in early hours of bank holiday Monday outside One Four One barA 30-year-old woman has died after being shot outside a bar in a busy area in Sheffield city centre.South Yorkshire police have launched a murder investigation after the incident in the early hours of this morning outside the One Four One bar on West Street. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chancellor pushes for procurement of ships, steel, energy and AI to prioritise Britishness as well as costRachel Reeves has instructed cabinet colleagues to award government contracts in four critical industries directly to British companies, making clear her irritation that ministers have been sending too much government business abroad.In a letter seen by the Guardian, the chancellor tells every cabinet minister in charge of a spending department to “buy British” wherever possible, adding that she is disappointed they are not already doing so. Continue reading...