Top World News
Households face higher energy bills as £28bn grid upgrade gets go-ahead
Plan to improve gas networks and rewire electricity systems across Great Britain likely to add £30 to average annual billEnergy companies have been given the green light to spend £28bn on Great Britain’s gas and electricity grids, raising fears of higher household bills.The energy watchdog, Ofgem, approved more than £17.8bn of spending plans to upgrade gas transmission and distribution networks in the five years from 2026. Continue reading...
Most NDIS participants will lose external avenue to appeal funding amounts under new system, Senate estimates told
Administrative review tribunal no longer authorised to alter a person’s plan or reinstate funding, agency confirmsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastParticipants in the national disability insurance scheme will in most cases no longer be able to appeal against their total amount of funding support to any external review body, executives have confirmed, after revelations about automation to be introduced to the organisation.The minister for disability and the NDIS, Jenny McAllister, and National Disability Insurance Agency bosses were peppered with questions at Senate estimates on Thursday about changes to the way NDIS support plans will be generated under a new planning model coming into effect from mid-2026. Continue reading...
Marles says Labor ‘working through’ Trump administration’s Aukus review – as it happened
Follow today’s news liveAccused childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown charged with 83 new offencesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChalmers says GDP growth figures ‘very positive and very promising’Chalmers also said he was encouraged by the release of national accounts figures yesterday, which showed annual GDP growth hitting 2.1%, even though the quarterly pace of growth was a disappointing 0.4%.The reason for that is because the overwhelming story of these national accounts was a very substantial recovery in the private sector. We saw business investment absolutely galloping. We saw investment in the building of new homes growing strongly as well. We saw the fourth consecutive quarter of productivity growth.And so, overwhelmingly, this is a very positive and a very promising story emerging out of these national accounts. Continue reading...
Putin and Modi to meet amid politically treacherous times for Russia and India
The Russian president’s Delhi visit gives him a chance to reduce Moscow’s isolation but both countries need each other to negotiate Trump’s America and a powerful ChinaWhen Vladimir Putin last set foot in India almost exactly four years ago, the world order looked materially different. That visit – lasting just five hours due to the covid pandemic – saw Putin and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi discuss economic and military cooperation and reaffirm their special relationship.Three months later, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine would turn him into a global pariah, isolating Russia from the world and restricting Putin’s international travel. Continue reading...
Uganda stops granting refugee status for Eritreans, Somalis and Ethiopians
Government once seen as progressive on migration says aid cuts to blame for excluding countries ‘not experiencing war’The Ugandan government has stopped granting asylum and refugee status to people from Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia, citing severe funding shortfalls for the significant policy shift.Hillary Onek, Uganda’s minister for refugees, announced that the government would no longer grant the status to new arrivals from countries “not experiencing war”. Continue reading...
‘People had forgotten about it’: onboard the 7am Manchester-London train service saved from axe
Passengers welcome climbdown and say plan to turn Avanti West Coast service into ‘ghost train’ made no sense“I don’t think I’ve seen it this busy in years,” said Liam, a customer service specialist struggling to deal with a growing line of tired customers onboard the 7am Avanti West Coast service from Manchester to London.They were made more agitated by the news that the microwave was broken and bacon sandwiches were off the menu. “I don’t think there’s been this many people on the 7am since before Covid,” said the beleaguered staff member. Continue reading...
Ghana’s Ibrahim Mahama first African to top annual art power list
Artist who once draped Barbican in brightly coloured fabric says he is humbled by recognition in ArtReview rankingsThe Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has become the first African to be named the most influential figure in the art world in ArtReview magazine’s annual power list.Mahama, whose work often uses found materials including textile remnants, topped the ranking of the contemporary art world’s most influential people and organisations as chosen by a global judging panel. Continue reading...
Revealed: Myanmar junta ‘crony’ given key role behind Fifa peace prize
Inaugural prize expected to be handed to Donald Trump but ‘process’ for choosing future winners to be proposed by controversial tycoon’s committeeIt was the timing that set off the first alarm bells. With Donald Trump brooding over missing out on the Nobel peace prize, and shortly before Gianni Infantino, the president of world football’s governing body, Fifa, was due to meet the US president in Miami, an announcement was made.In a press release and a post on his personal Instagram account last month, Infantino said Fifa would launch its very own peace prize, to be awarded each year to “individuals who help unite people in peace through unwavering commitment and special actions”. Continue reading...
Thailand seizes more than $300m in assets and issues 42 arrest warrants in cyberscam crackdown
Seizures and warrants involve Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, who heads US-sanctioned Prince Group, and Cambodians Kok An and Yim LeakThailand has seized assets worth more than $300m, including shares in a major regional energy company, and issued arrest warrants for 42 people in a high-profile push against regional scam networks, officials said on Wednesday.Parts of south-east Asia, including the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, have become hubs for online fraud, with criminal networks earning billions from illegal compounds where trafficking victims are often forced to work. Continue reading...
Eurovision weighs whether Israel should compete in 2026 contest
Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest are discussing whether Israel should be allowed to participate next year
Trump hosting the leaders of Congo, Rwanda to sign deal for peace in eastern Congo
U.S. President Donald Trump will host Congolese and Rwandan presidents for a deal signing aimed at securing peace in eastern Congo
Japan's Takaichi is winning fans not with politics but with her style and 'work, work, work' mantra
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has won the catchphrase of the year for her pledge to “work, work, work, work and work” for the country
