‘The engine’s on fire’: Qantas flight from Queenstown to Sydney reroutes after flames seen by passengers

Report documents use of commercial licensing for free or donation-based exercise classes in parks and on beachesAt 6am on the beach at Westgate-on-Sea in Kent, Angela Brier-Stephenson used to meet a small group of about 10 people for yoga.The class lasted 45 minutes and participants paid what they could. Continue reading...

Polling stations open in Saxony-Anhalt with anti-immigration party AfD predicted to gain 41% vote shareGerman voterswent to the polls on Sunday for a crucial regional election where the far-right, anti-immigration and Moscow-friendly Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is expected to win.AfD, polling at more than 40% for months in Saxony-Anhalt, even has its sights on winning its first-ever state government, although this is far from assured. Continue reading...

The Reform UK leader is under pressure after senior aides appeared to plot how to bypass electoral laws on foreign donationsGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. The Reform UK party leader, Nigel Farage, is scheduled to appear on Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday politics programme at 9am, where he will likely be asked more about an undercover investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News which showed two of his senior aides appearing to plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations.Accepting donations from a foreign company, including donations in kind such as polling, could constitute a criminal offence and the party has been reported to the police. Continue reading...

Country loses 200 tennis courts in three years, but they still outnumber padel facilities by a factor of 11 to oneEngland has lost almost 200 tennis courts in three years as padel facilities have grown nearly sixfold.Guardian analysis of Sport England data found that the country has lost 183 tennis courts since 2023 – the first such decline since at least 2000. The data includes local authority and community-owned courts, privately run health facilities, schools and sports clubs. Continue reading...

Most gambling websites nudge users towards accepting tracking data and harvest it before consent is given, study showsOnline bookmakers and casinos have been accused of widespread non-compliance of information privacy requirements, including “data surveillance” of customers, according to a study.Nearly nine out of 10 (86%) licensed British gambling websites appear to be flouting the general data protection regulation (GDPR), the strict rules governing how organisations can collect, store and process personal data, according to the research. Continue reading...

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...

Policy unveiled on Sunday would create new criminal offences for flag burning and defacing historical monuments, and legislate 26 January as Australia DayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter hereAngus Taylor has rejected claims the Coalition’s push to criminalise burning of the Australian flag is an attempt to undercut One Nation, insisting penalties of up to a year in prison are necessary to “stand up for our country”.The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has previously called for criminal penalties for flag burning, with a petition by the party attracting approximately 50,000 signatures last year.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here 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...