Top World News
Speed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdog
National Audit Office says failure to implement £70bn modernisation would also hold back economic growthThe ‘great grid upgrade’ is off track – ministers should spell out the risks for billsConsumers will pay higher energy bills unless the UK government speeds up work on a vast programme of upgrades to the electricity grid to enable the switch to renewables, the public spending watchdog has warned.The National Audit Office (NAO) said that without faster action the extra costs associated with managing the ageing power network, which are ultimately passed on to the public, could reach £7.8bn a year by 2030. Continue reading...
Diana’s ‘revenge dress’, worn when Charles revealed infidelity, up for auction
Christina Stambolian dress from 1994 has defined a whole category of fashion and is expected to fetch up to £220,000The dress that Diana, Princess of Wales wore one September evening in 1994 would have been memorable for its design alone – black, fitted, off-the-shoulder, skintight and short. However, it has another distinction, of defining a whole category of fashion – what has since become known as “revenge dressing”.Worn by Diana the same night Charles would reveal his infidelity on TV, the dress was quickly labelled “the revenge dress” by the media. It has its own Wikipedia page, with the same title. Continue reading...
Iceland to submit bill that could ban whaling in its waters
The country is one of just three that still permits commercial whaling, while its government has faced mounting pressure to ban the practiceIceland will submit a bill in February 2027 which could permanently ban whaling in its waters, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries to permit commercial whaling.Whaling in Iceland has been put under intense scrutiny since a government-commissioned report was published in 2023 that found harpooned whales took two hours to die. The report led to a temporary suspension of the hunt that year. Continue reading...
"Free Speech Absolutist": Elon Musk Threatens Legal Action Over Documentary
The September 3 letter from attorney Alex Spiro, addressed to a producer at Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, accuses the Oscar-winning documentarian of building "Musk" around a predetermined conclusion.
‘I’m on the ticket’: Trump implores Republicans to vote in November at unusual midterm convention
The president demonised Democrats in an attempt to wangle votes in midterms despite backlash over Iran warWith his approval rating at a historic low, Donald Trump has brought down the curtain on the Republicans’ first ever midterm convention by pleading with supporters to do him “the biggest favour” and “pretend” they are voting for him in November’s US elections.The president is facing a growing backlash over rising prices and the war in Iran. Sweeping losses for the Republican party could effectively turn Trump into a lame duck for his final two years in the White House. Continue reading...
$15m fund launched to create ‘unstoppable momentum’ to end FGM worldwide
Her Horizon Fund seeks $100m to stop practice harming 230m women and girls globally Frontline activists and leaders in the fight against female genital mutilation, which has affected more than 230 million women and girls worldwide, have welcomed an unprecedented $15.5m (£11.4m) fund aimed at creating “unstoppable momentum” to finally end the practice.The launch of the fund comes as women’s rights are increasingly under attack and donor funding is in sharp decline, particularly for work led by FGM survivors in local communities. It is thought to be the largest single philanthropic contribution to ending the practice of FGM. Continue reading...
Nicolas Maduro's Wife Seeks Release From US Jail, Citing Heart Ailment
Cilia Flores, 69, and Maduro, 63, have been held at a Brooklyn jail since US forces seized them from their Caracas home in a middle-of-the-night raid in early January and brought them to New York City.
Hastie accepts apology from Joyce over ‘traitor’ cartoon as Hanson doubles down and tells critics to ‘chill’
A split emerges in One Nation over the video, with Barnaby Joyce offering an apology as Pauline Hanson continues to refuse to take it downFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastAndrew Hastie has accepted an apology from his former colleague Barnaby Joyce over a One Nation cartoon video labelling the former SAS captain a traitor but reiterated that he believed Pauline Hanson was a “lying coward”.The apology has revealed a split between Joyce and his leader, as Hanson instead appeared to double down on the controversial animation on social media, thanking Hastie for drawing attention to the video posted more than one month ago and saying critics should “take a chill pill”.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...
Former Carlton president apologises to ex-wife as lewd photo defamation case settles
Luke Sayers says he accepts Cate Sayers did not post photo of his genitals as she says settlement closes ‘painful and difficult chapter’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe embattled former AFL club president Luke Sayers has apologised to his former wife for the harm he caused as her defamation case over a lewd photo settled.Lawyers for Sayers, the immediate past president of the Carlton football club, read out the apology in the Victorian supreme court on Friday after indicating the settlement. Continue reading...
Molly Ticehurst’s killer Daniel Billings sentenced to 28 years in jail for her murder
Ticehurst’s former partner had pleaded guilty to stabbing her 15 times at her Forbes home just before midnight on 21 April 2024Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMolly Ticehurst’s ex-boyfriend has been sentenced to 28 years in jail for her senseless and brutal murder, which was revenge for her reporting allegations of sexual assault to police.Daniel Billings was sentenced in the NSW supreme court in Orange today by Justice Natalie Adams, who imposed a non-parole period of 20 years. Continue reading...
OpenAI Seeks US Rules On Powerful AI Amid Anthropic Researcher's Warning
In a policy statement, the ChatGPT maker said voluntary commitments by AI developers were no longer adequate, and urged US lawmakers to act before Congress adjourns in December.
Texas reports first equine infection of New World screwworm on ranch horse
The flesh-eating parasite had been largely eradicated, but now authorities are racing to contain an outbreak A horse in southern Texas has been infected with the New World screwworm, marking the first US equine infection as health authorities race to contain an outbreak of the flesh-eating parasite.The pest was discovered on the hind limb of a working ranch horse in Presidio county, according to a statement on Thursday from US Equestrian Foundation. Continue reading...
