Triple killer who dismembered bodies of two friends given whole-life jail sentence

• India faces significant energy import vulnerabilities, highlighted by the 2026 oil price surge and critical chokepoints at the Strait of Hormuz. • The nation has the potential to meet up to 25% of its domestic energy demand growth through internal resources by 2047.

• Former President Trump's decision to pause attacks on Iran highlights the limitations of U.S. military power in asymmetric conflicts. • Despite aerial campaigns, Tehran has not been bombed into submission, as Iran leverages its mountainous geography and drone/missile capabilities to maintain strategic leverage.

• The Trump administration is scaling back funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Africa. • This reduction in support for life-saving HIV programs weakens a primary instrument of U.S. soft power and health diplomacy.

Claimants’ insurance might not cover Associated Newspapers’ costs for defending phone-hacking case, high court hearsThe Duke of Sussex and his co-claimants could be millions of pounds out of pocket after losing their privacy case against the publishers of the Daily Mail, as their insurance may not cover costs incurred by Associated Newspapers defending the case, the high court in London heard.The seven claimants, who include Prince Harry, Doreen Lawrence and Elton John, sued ANL over allegations of unlawful information gathering, with their claims dismissed in their entirely by Mr Justice Nicklin on 7 July. Continue reading...

Dirt files are always damaging – not least those originating in the secretive rightwing Reformers sub-faction of the partyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFrom time to time, dirt files – crudely known as shit sheets – flutter around the corridors of power in state and federal parliaments.They can be enormously damaging even if never published. While there might be speculation as to their origin, rarely is there confirmation – especially if the dirt file emanates from your own side. Continue reading...

Authorities say local transmission of H5 bird flu virus among South Australian birds signals ‘shift in the situation’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia has entered a new phase in dealing with the incursion of deadly H5N1 bird flu, with authorities confirming on Wednesday that local transmission of the highly virulent strain had taken place.“We have had what is suggestive of local transmission for the first time,” Julie Collins, the federal minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, said on Wednesday afternoon, after 11 new suspected detections were reported in South Australian birds. Continue reading...

Some companies reportedly using leaderboards for employees who used the most AI in their workGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSoftware firm Atlassian has sought to tighten tracking of its staff’s AI spending by introducing “wallets” with monthly caps of up $2,000 for each employee, amid an explosion in costs at other tech companies.The move by Atlassian, which recently cited AI as part of the reason behind cutting 1,600 staff, bucks the trend of others in the tech sector who encouraged employees to use as much of the technology as possible, dubbed “tokenmaxxing”. Some companies have reportedly introduced leaderboards for employees who used the most AI in their work. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Scientists say about 5,000 fewer southern bent-wing bats have been recorded at a key maternity site for the speciesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA sudden decline in critically endangered bats is troubling experts, who recorded about 5,000 fewer southern bent-wing bats than usual at Naracoorte’s “bat cave” this summer.These tiny russet-toned microbats roost in caves and forage for insects over long distances across south-west Victoria and south-east South Australia. Continue reading...

Clean Energy Council calls for a national, legislated scheme to funnel benefits of hosting renewables projects back to local councilsSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereOrganised campaigns against wind and solar energy have proved “extremely effective” in undermining community support for renewable energy but enthusiasm for electric vehicles has jumped following Donald Trump’s attack on Iran, according to a detailed snapshot of Australian attitudes to the clean energy transition.The survey found levels of “deep support” for clean technologies were highest for home batteries and rooftop solar and also improving for major infrastructure projects such as transmission lines, which have been a target for critics of renewables.Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...

Greek authorities identify remains after reported discovery in a derelict building by homeless manA body found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens has been identified as a 38-year-old British woman, with Greek authorities saying she had been dead for several weeks.Eleven days after the macabre find, police said they were able to shed some light on the mystery of a body that until Wednesday had remained unidentified, after appealing to foreign law enforcement agencies. Continue reading...

What once felt exceptional now arrives with grim regularity​ all over the continent, and it will only get worse• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereSpain has changed immeasurably since I arrived here 10 years ago to begin work as the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent.Over that time, the push for Catalan independence has exploded, sputtered and faded out; the Covid pandemic has hit with unimaginable ferocity, before seeming to linger for a face-masked eternity; and Podemos and Ciudadanos – the two upstart parties that once seemed likely to alter the Spanish political landscape irrevocably – have risen and fallen. Continue reading...

Laughter, disbelief and outrage over video appearing to show Saltburn player tricking umpire into giving batters outAt the Saltburn over-60s ukulele club there was an obvious reaction to news that the town’s cricket club was being compared to the Argentina football team: laughter. Then a spirited rendition of I Love to Boogie.On the seafront, a litter-picking volunteer was looking forward to the Wednesday night quiz just to get the gossip. But she had her own view. “All I would say is it’s just not cricket, is it?” Continue reading...