Australia’s next government may be Great Barrier Reef’s last chance after sixth mass bleaching, conservationist says

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Consecutive and severe bleaching is ‘fundamentally changing’ nature of reef, the International Coral Reef Society says

The Great Barrier Reef was hit by a sixth widespread coral bleaching event since 2016 this summer – the second time the world’s biggest coral reef has seen the phenomenon strike in back-to-back years – according to government authorities.

Scientists and conservationists reacted with dismay that widespread bleaching – driven by global heating – was becoming normalised, with one saying Australia’s next term of government may be the natural wonder’s last shot at survival.

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$500 for the nosebleeds? Lady Gaga fans furious over ticket prices for Australian shows

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The Mayhem tour’s ticketing agencies deny dynamic pricing has been implemented, but fans have complained prices are high and inconsistent

The little monsters are not happy. Lady Gaga fans have swamped social media to complain about exorbitant ticket prices for the pop star’s Australian concerts, with many speculating that dynamic pricing is involved – a claim the official ticketing agency for the Melbourne and Brisbane shows, Ticketmaster, has denied.

Off the back of her chart-topping album Mayhem, Lady Gaga is heading to Australia for the first time in 11 years, with Live Nation bringing the Mayhem Ball to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in December. Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, is responsible for the ticket sales in Melbourne and Brisbane. Ticketek is separately handling the Sydney show, because of its affiliation with Sydney venue Accor Stadium.

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‘Let Rome burn’: Coalition MP says allowing blackouts the only way to turn voters off renewable energy

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Exclusive: Power outages in major cities would help build opposition to climate policies, Colin Boyce tells podcast

The Coalition MP Colin Boyce says he believes the way to turn voters against renewable energy is to “let Rome burn for a while” and allow power blackouts to occur in major cities.

Guardian Australia reported on Wednesday that Boyce had described blackouts as a “big political opportunity” at a meeting of climate science deniers in late 2023.

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China to snub UK energy summit amid row over infrastructure projects

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Exclusive: Absence of world’s biggest clean energy producer will be welcomed by US pushing oil and gas exports

China is to snub a major UK summit on energy security next week, the Guardian has learned, amid a growing row over the country’s involvement in UK infrastructure projects.

The US will send a senior White House official to the 60-country summit, to be co-hosted with the International Energy Agency. Leading oil and gas companies are also invited, along with big technology businesses, and petrostates including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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Irregular migrant crossings into Europe fall 30% in first quarter of 2025

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Human rights groups say drop is partly due to EU policies that turn blind eye to rights abuses in countries such as Libya and Tunisia

Irregular crossings at Europe’s borders have fallen by 30% in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period last year, in a decrease that rights groups partly attributed to EU policies that have emphasised deterrence while seemingly turning a blind eye to the risk of rights abuses.

The decline was seen across all the major migratory routes into Europe, the EU’s border agency Frontex said in a statement, amounting to nearly 33,600 fewer arrivals in the first three months of the year.

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Scoop: Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations – Axios

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  1. Scoop: Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations  Axios
  2. Opinion | Witkoff Walks It Back on Iran  WSJ
  3. US Wants Iran to Limit Nuclear Program Rather Than Dismantle It  Bloomberg
  4. Iran’s Negotiating Position Gets Worse and Worse  The Atlantic
  5. Khamenei downplays US talks prospects as some Iranians' hopes stir, currency gains  Reuters
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Peru’s ex-President Ollanta Humala guilty of money laundering – BBC

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  1. Peru's ex-President Ollanta Humala guilty of money laundering  BBC
  2. Peru’s former first lady seeks asylum in Brazilian Embassy as she and ex-President Humala sentenced to prison  CNN
  3. Peru’s former president sentenced to 15 years in jail for money laundering  Financial Times
  4. Brazil grants asylum to wife of Peru's former president Humala  Reuters
  5. Brazil to Lean Toward Granting Asylum to Peru’s Convicted Former First Lady  Bloomberg
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The untold story of how Trump shocked Europe in a few short days – politico.eu

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  1. The untold story of how Trump shocked Europe in a few short days  politico.eu
  2. Trump the unifier? How Europe could benefit from Trump’s policies  Euronews.com
  3. World’s Friendliest Superpower? As Trump Upends Globe, Europe Positions Itself.  The New York Times
  4. Why Europe Must Avoid a Strategic Trap in a Post-American World  Internationale Politik Quarterly
  5. The US Is the West’s Achilles’ Heel, but Not All Is Doomed  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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Hong Kong halts postal service for US-bound goods over Trump’s ‘bullying’ tariffs

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Post office says it ‘definitely’ won’t collect tariffs on Washington’s behalf and Hongkongers should prepare to pay exorbitant fees

Hong Kong Post said on Wednesday it had suspended goods mail services by sea to the US and will suspend its air mail postal service for items containing goods from 27 April due to “bullying” US tariffs.

When sending items to the US, people in Hong Kong “should be prepared to pay exorbitant and unreasonable fees due to the US’s unreasonable and bullying acts”, Hong Kong Post said in a statement.

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