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Commuters warned journey may take an extra 45 minutes as ‘limited’ buses replace north short trains. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.We begin with a classic “commuter chaos” update: there are widespread train cancellations in Sydney this morning due to problems with overhead wiring at a major hub. Continue reading...

• Wall Street indices remained subdued on Monday as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of a week filled with high-impact economic events. • Market participants are specifically focusing on upcoming key corporate earnings reports and volatility within the US bond market. • The US Treasury Department is actively working to steady specific segments of the bond market, which showed some signs of easing during the session.

Allowing jurors to stay in same hotel as police and prosecution denied Patterson a fair trial, lawyers tell Victorian court of appealLawyers for Erin Patterson argue that allowing jurors to stay in the same hotel as police and the prosecution while they deliberated over their verdicts in the triple murder trial represented a “catastrophic” failure of the justice system.On Wednesday, three judges of Victoria’s highest court started hearing two appeals – by Patterson herself and the state’s director of public prosecutions (DPP) – into the conviction and sentence in the case. Continue reading...

• Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the upcoming ACC Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games. • The decision follows a high-grade hamstring tear she sustained while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred. • This injury represents a major setback for the Indian national team ahead of two critical multi-nation tournaments.

• Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the Women’s Asia Cup and the 2026 Asian Games due to a right hamstring injury. • The 25-year-old, who recently scored an unbeaten 127 to help India achieve a world-record chase of 338 against Australia, will be replaced by Pratika Rawal. • This loss is significant as Rodrigues was in peak form heading into the tournament, where India is competing in the T20 format.

1.6m dozen eggs from Texas recalled amid one of the largest recorded foodborne illness outbreaks in US historyA massive egg recall affecting nearly 1.6m dozen eggs has been elevated to the US Food and Drug Administration’s highest-risk warning as officials investigate a salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 100 people.The FDA on 12 August reclassified the recall of nearly 1.6m dozen white and brown cage-free eggs over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella. Continue reading...

Thursday has been described by residents as ‘horrendous’, ‘distressing’ and ‘one of the scariest days of my life’People in Stourbridge have described the fires that devastated more than a dozen homes as “horrendous” and “distressing”, with one describing blazes that surpassed the height of residential houses.Multiple fires spread across the West Midlands on Thursday as temperatures reached record highs of 38.1C in the UK, during the country’s fifth consecutive heatwave. Continue reading...

• European shares remained subdued on August 13 as investors awaited euro zone employment data and monitored ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. • Maersk shares surged 9.4% after the shipping group beat profit forecasts and raised its full-year guidance for a second time, driven by higher freight rates. • Adyen jumped 16.4% following an increase in its annual revenue growth forecast, while Swissquote plummeted 14% to a one-year low due to weak cryptocurrency income.

RCN calls for more air conditioners as Burnham faces pressure to recognise urgency of adaptation to climate crisisNurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned, as Andy Burnham promised to grapple with “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation.Amid growing pressure from Labour backbenches to fully acknowledge the urgency of adaptation measures as the climate crisis bites, Burnham said he was for now focusing on the immediate crises caused by an ongoing summer of extreme heat. Continue reading...

Falling water levels linked to weather system are expected to limit number of slots to transit shipping laneBusiness live – latest updatesCommercial ships travelling through the Panama Canal are facing a rise in costs amid disruption triggered by the Iran war and falling water levels linked to this year’s intense El Niño weather system.Highlighting the fragility of global trade, a container ship reportedly paid about $4m (£3m) to jump a queue of vessels waiting to pass through the vital maritime choke point. Continue reading...

• European shares remained largely flat as investors weighed mixed corporate earnings, rising oil prices, and renewed geopolitical tensions. • Energy stocks saw gains during the session, while the automobiles and parts sectors experienced declines. • Market caution is driven by ongoing concerns regarding global trade, inflation levels, and the future outlook for interest rates.

Prosecutors allege 28-year-old gunned down Brian Thompson outside Manhattan hotel in 2024Luigi Mangione, who is accused of the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is due to appear on Tuesday morning at Manhattan state court.Mangione’s appearance comes less than a month before the start of his highly anticipated 8 September trial. Prosecutors allege that Mangione gunned down Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on 4 December 2024. Continue reading...

Agent found to be able to find and exploit vulnerabilities without human intervention, and to carry out cyber-attacksOpenAI will pause some work on an artificial intelligence model because of security concerns, the company stated Friday, following a series of incidents in which AI agents have escaped containment.The company had evaluated the agent, Astra, and found “significant advancements in agentic coding and cybersecurity”, which had moved to a “critical” threshold where it can find and exploit vulnerabilities without human intervention, or devise and execute cyber-attacks when given only a “high level desired goal”. Continue reading...

Drought and record heat have forced the Norfolk and Suffolk league to move kick-off to the end of August as the ground is deemed too dangerous to play onThis summer’s record drought has forced a football league to delay the start of its season because “rock hard” pitches are a danger to its players.The 2026/27 season in the Anglian Combination League of 85 amateur teams in Norfolk and Suffolk was due to start next weekend. Continue reading...

Iranian spokesperson says there are no plans to receive or send a delegation following US president’s assertion that talks would take place todayTrump says Iran talks set for MondayHello and welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East.Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a weekly press briefing on Monday that Iran is not currently holding any talks with the US, Reuters reports – contradicting claims made by Donald Trump on Sunday night that talks with Iran would happen the next day. Continue reading...

Singer was due to reunite with Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in London production of Sunday in the Park With GeorgeAriana Grande has announced plans to take a break from public-facing work after her tour ends due to “endless, ongoing public scrutiny”. She is pulling out of the upcoming London revival of Sunday in the Park With George.The pop singer was due to appear opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in a new production of Stephen Sondheim’s critically acclaimed musical at the Barbican in 2027. Continue reading...

Increase in annual pay packets began from August 1. Follow updatesThe deputy leader of the opposition, Jane Hume, will appear on ABC’s Insiders after 9.Petrol prices set to rise as fuel excise relief endsObviously we always monitor the situation and take steps as necessary, but our policy decision is clear. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ADF personnel who were discriminated against for being LGBTQ+ are owed a national apology, federal government toldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA national apology should be issued to LGBTQ+ veterans and service personnel who experienced discrimination at the hands of the Australian Defence Force, according to recommendations to the federal government.David Gibson, who was discharged from the military in 1989 because he was bisexual and chair of GLBTI Rights in Ageing, said it was time for the prime minister to issue an apology. Continue reading...

Analysis of samples collected from carcasses found traces of toxic chemical compound, says Kenya Wildlife ServiceThe recent deaths of 15 elephants near a park in southern Kenya in the past month were likely caused by the animals ingesting pesticides used on nearby tomato farms, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has said.Erustus Kanga, the agency’s director general, told Citizen TV that analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had found traces of cyanide, a chemical compound used in farming as a predator control poison and a pest fumigant, also used by poachers. Continue reading...

The book, Antiquities of Athens, was handed back to Kiama library by a man who found it bricked into a wallAn Australian public library has had a book returned an estimated 150 years late after being found behind a wall during a home renovation.The book, Antiquities of Athens, published in 1858, was returned to the library in the seaside town of Kiama, south of Sydney, by a man who had found it inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace Continue reading...

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...

Consumer goods group reports strong sales growth, owing in part to World Cup marketing campaignsBusiness live – latest updatesUnilever has warned it will push through further price rises over the coming months, as the Marmite, Dove and Hellmann’s owner tries to recoup its own growing costs.The Anglo-Dutch company said that while the pace of price rises slowed in the second quarter, owing in part to World Cup-related discounts and efforts to stay competitive in Brazil, it said these were “temporary factors” and would not shield consumers for long. Continue reading...

• European shares remained subdued on Tuesday as a global selloff in technology stocks was offset by gains in luxury and consumer sectors. • Market stability was further supported by a decline in oil prices, balancing the volatility seen in the tech industry. • Investors are closely monitoring upcoming earnings reports from major U.S. tech firms to determine if the AI-driven market rally is sustainable.

• NASA has issued Amendment 66 regarding the B.2 Heliophysics Foundational Research (HFR) solicitation, which focuses on advancing the physical understanding of the Sun-Heliosphere-Planetary system. • The update specifically announces the due date for "Step-2" proposals and includes a necessary correction to the previous solicitation guidelines. • This process is critical for selecting scientific investigations that will drive foundational research in heliophysics and space weather.

China’s foreign ministry says ‘relevant countries’ should ‘stop stirring up tension’. Follow liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia is not ruling out stepping up joint patrols of the South China Sea following “destabilising” missile testing in the region, Australian Associated Press reports.The foreign minister, Penny Wong, was asked last night about the potential of more regular regional sea patrols in tandem with the United States and Japan, following China’s launching of nuclear-capable missiles. Continue reading...

Fans evacuated from sold-out open-air show as organisers promise full refundsAn open-air show by Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny in Milan on Saturday night was abandoned due to a violent hailstorm, but the organiser said tickets would be reimbursed.Videos posted on social media showed large hailstones hitting concertgoers at the sold-out show, along with strong winds and driving rain, after the star began his set at Milan’s Snai La Maura Hippodrome. Continue reading...

• European shares remained flat on Wednesday, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index holding steady at 641.83 points. • Market stability was driven by a conflict between positive corporate earnings and geopolitical instability, specifically escalating tensions in the Middle East. • Strong financial results from chip equipment manufacturer ASML and luxury goods group Richemont (owner of Cartier) provided upward pressure on the markets.

The dual national, who missed six weeks of school, is latest of several children affected by recent Home Office policyA British girl was prevented from returning to her school in the UK for six weeks after a trip to see her grandmother in Italy because of the Home Office’s new rule requiring dual British nationals to have a British passport to get back into the country.The 15-year-old, who was stranded in Rome in April, is just the latest of a number of children and young adults hit by a new Labour government rule that came into force in February. Continue reading...