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Exclusive: Taskforce to mull options to cut level to 150,000-200,000, higher than One Nation’s hard 130,000 cap and Howard-era’s 100,000 targetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition is planing to cut Australia’s annual net overseas immigration levels to 150,000-200,000, according to a confidential policy roadmap that reveals Angus Taylor is preparing to fight a possible early election.An internal document circulated to senior Coalition MPs details the key policies the opposition wants to build its election platform on, as it rebuilds from its catastrophic 2025 loss. Continue reading...

• Average US gasoline prices have climbed to $4.50 per gallon, marking the highest level since 2022 and reflecting broader energy market pressures linked to Middle East tensions and OPEC production decisions. • The price surge comes amid ongoing negotiations between the Trump administration and Iran, which have created uncertainty in global oil markets and affected domestic fuel costs. • Energy analysts attribute the increase to geopolitical risk premiums, reduced supply confidence, and reduced refinery capacity following seasonal maintenance.

Budget airline left thousands stranded on Saturday after ceasing operations amid financial troublesSpirit Airlines shutdown: how to get home and get refundsPolitical blame game begins and passengers left adrift after Spirit ceases operationsSpirit Airlines has almost finished refunding customers for flights abruptly canceled over the weekend as the company folded.The budget airline left thousands of customers and staff stranded after deciding on Saturday to pull the plug on a business that was struggling for years, before a surge in the price of jet fuel blew a new hole in its budget. Continue reading...

Exclusive: women ‘massively underrepresented’ in next week’s local and devolved elections, campaigners say Women will be massively underrepresented on ballot papers across the UK next week, campaigners say, with research revealing that almost twice as many men as women are standing as candidates across the local, mayoral and devolved elections.Democracy campaigners say men of all political stripes are likely to dominate local government, with women’s views on issues from social care to bin collections sidelined by the huge gap between the numbers of male and female candidates. Continue reading...

The Arab oil producer has long expressed frustration with the quotas it has to follow as part of OPEC, the cartel of major state-owned oil producers.(Image credit: Joe Klamar)

• Environmental Working Group study finds 20% of Americans used systems with elevated nitrate levels from 2021-2023 data. • Nitrate poses health risks including cancer and developmental issues in contaminated supplies. • Affects millions nationwide, urging stricter regulations and testing.

Pineland Road fire and Highway 82 fire have destroyed over 100 homes, and are part of large number of wildfires this spring in the US southSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHeavy rain slowed the progress of two sprawling southern Georgia wildfires over the weekend, allowing crews to make some progress in containing the blazes that have destroyed more than 100 homes.Although the rain helped the firefighting efforts, it wasn’t “nearly enough to put the fires out” and crews responded to 10 new blazes throughout the drought-stricken state Sunday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said Monday. Continue reading...

James Sherwin-Smith will be up for election after securing more than 250 nominations to run alongside existing directorsNationwide building society could have a customer on its board for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century after one of its longtime members secured enough support for a spot on the lender’s annual ballot.James Sherwin-Smith will be up for board elections at Nationwide’s annual general meeting (AGM) in July, having gathered more than the 250 peer nominations necessary to run alongside existing directors. Continue reading...

American Lung Association report comes amid Trump EPA’s expansive rollback of environmental protections Nearly half of children in the United States are breathing dangerous levels of air pollution, according to a new report, as experts warned Donald Trump’s expansive rollback of protections will make the situation worse.The 27th annual air quality report from the American Lung Association (ALA) released on Wednesday evaluates pollution across the country by grading levels of ground-level ozone – also known as smog – as well as year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution, commonly referred to as soot. The report analyzed quality-assured data collected between 2022 and 2024. Continue reading...

Brent crude drops and gas prices slide amid hopes Donald Trump will succeed in reaching deal with TehranOil and gas prices tumbled by almost 10% on Friday after Iran said the strait of Hormuz would open to commercial shipping, potentially clearing the way for tankers holding millions of barrels of oil and gas to reach the global market.Iran’s foreign minister said that vessels would be free to transit the strait of Hormuz for the duration of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon struck on Thursday. Continue reading...

• Selena Gomez attended Demi Lovato's 'It's Not That Deep Tour' opening night in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, marking their first in-person reunion in nearly a decade. • Video footage captured Selena in a balcony seat smiling and engaged, with the pair sharing a sweet backstage moment before the show; Lovato debuted new song 'Lowrise Jeans' dropping Friday and performed with Joe Jonas. • The event highlights their enduring friendship amid both artists' personal and career comebacks in the music industry.

Engine-maker CEO hails ‘critical milestone’ for company in race to deliver SMR technology built at Wylfa plant on Anglesey Business live – latest updatesRolls-Royce has secured up to £599m from Britain’s national wealth fund as it races to develop the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors.The fund will help support Rolls-Royce’s design of small modular reactors (SMRs) at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey (called Ynys Môn in Welsh). Continue reading...

Clarence Curtis Jordan was convicted in 1978 but hadn’t had a lawyer for over 30 yearsThe Texas court of criminal appeals has overturned the death sentence of Clarence Curtis Jordan, a 70-year-old man with intellectual disabilities, who spent nearly 50 years on death row – much of that time without a lawyer.Jordan was convicted in 1978 for the murder of Joe L Williams, a 40-year-old grocer in Houston, and was sentenced to death. In the years that followed, courts determined that Jordan, who has intellectual disabilities, was “incompetent”, making him ineligible for execution under constitutional standards. Continue reading...

Increased recognition of crime and perpetrators using technology to track victims are behind rise, say expertsThe number of stalking offences recorded by police has soared over the past decade, with experts saying the rise has been driven by increased recognition, and technology making it easier for perpetrators to track their victims.House of Commons library data analysed by the Liberal Democrats found more than 135,000 offences were recorded last year, up from just under 3,000 10 years ago. Continue reading...

Most of the stations hit with penalty infringement notices were in regional NSW, while 23 were in Sydney Ninety-three service stations in New South Wales are facing fines for misrepresenting their prices amid Australia’s fuel crisis – although none are facing penalties for price gouging.A two-week compliance blitz has seen inspectors visit about 75% – or just under 1,800 – of stations registered with fuel price app FuelCheck in NSW, issuing 93 penalty infringement notices, the state government said on Sunday. Continue reading...

Tania Warner is fitted with ankle monitor and released along with seven-year-old daughter Ayla Luca after being deemed not a flight riskA Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who were held for nearly three weeks in a notorious detention center by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were released on Thursday evening after posting a bond of $9,500.Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Luca, originally from British Columbia, are both Canadian citizens. Warner moved to the US in 2021 when she married Edward Warner, a US citizen. “Very happy to have my family home … it’s been a whirlwind day,” said Edward Warner. Continue reading...

• President Trump is considering a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, described by U.S. officials as a complex and risky mission, according to the Wall Street Journal. • The extraction operation would likely require American forces to remain inside Iran for days or longer, adding substantial operational complexity and risk to personnel. • This mission represents one of several military options being weighed by the Trump administration as tensions escalate with Iran.

Campaigners criticise frequent use of storm overflows when parts of the country were in drought for monthsRaw sewage was discharged into rivers and seas almost 300,000 times last year after the driest spring for more than 100 years and the sunniest and warmest year on record in England.Water companies released raw sewage into rivers and seas from storm overflows – designed to be used in extreme wet weather conditions – 291,492 times. This was a 35% reduction on record spills in 2024. Average discharges were 20.5 spills for each overflow, compared with 31.8 in the previous year. Continue reading...

Negotiations to end funding standoff sparked by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown fail to find a breakthroughSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.There was no breakthrough in talk to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday as the shutdown extends to almost six weeks with no end in sight.The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that airports across the country are experiencing the “highest wait times in TSA history”, as the partial shutdown of the DHS enters its sixth week. At a House homeland security committee hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill said her agency has been shut down for 50% of the fiscal year so far – a stretch that includes last year’s record-breaking 43‑day lapse in federal funding. She told lawmakers that by Friday, TSA employees will have missed $1bn in paychecks as a result of the closures. More here.The US has launched another strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people, the US Southern Command said. The command, which oversees combatant operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced on X that it had conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations”. More here.Progressive lawmakers have unveiled a new policy to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters. The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democratic representative, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. More here.The Trump administration’s federal housing director Bill Pulte is asking prosecutors to investigate New York attorney general Letitia James for insurance fraud, according to criminal referrals reported by MS Now and CBS News. The referrals to prosecutors in Florida and Illinois allege that James may have committed mortgage insurance fraud. The allegations center on applications made to Universal Property Insurance company, which is based in Florida, and Allstate in Illinois. More here. Continue reading...

• NBCUniversal has canceled Access Hollywood, ending the long-running celebrity news show after nearly 30 years amid shifts in daytime TV programming. • Production of the show will continue through the summer of 2026 before the final episodes air. • The cancellation marks the close of a significant era in Hollywood gossip and celebrity coverage on broadcast television.

• Nearly three weeks after the first strikes on Iran, GOP lawmakers are resisting the idea of calling top officials to testify before Congress, according to reporting from the New York Times. • The resistance reflects Republican Party divisions over the administration's Iran military operations and broader foreign policy strategy. • Democratic efforts to investigate the strikes face obstacles as the Republican-controlled Congress shows reluctance to pursue official inquiries into the military action.

• US supergroup A Perfect Circle has announced an Australian tour, marking their first visit to the country in almost 15 years with performances scheduled across major cities. • The tour will include dates in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, bringing the acclaimed rock band back to Australian audiences after an extended absence. • The reunion tour represents a significant event for fans in the region and demonstrates the band's continued relevance in the international touring circuit.

PwC called in as administrators after company runs out of cash, leaving it unable to pay landlords and creditorsNational Car Parks, the UK’s biggest car park operator, has fallen into administration, putting nearly 700 jobs at risk.NCP’s board of directors called in PwC as administrators after it ran out of cash, leaving it unable to pay its landlords and creditors, with significant rent payments falling due at the end of March. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Claire Earley’s son Rex spent six weeks in hospital after contracting E coli from contaminated lakeRealtime pollution alerts are needed across Windermere urgently, campaigners have said, as the mother of a seven-year-old boy who kayaked on the lake described how he nearly died after contracting a dangerous strain of E coli from contaminated water.Claire Earley’s son Rex spent six weeks in hospital, and underwent two emergency operations, after a family kayaking trip on Windermere last August. Continue reading...