Japan PM says Putin’s visit to disputed islands ‘absolutely unacceptable’
It was the first time the Russian leader had visited the Kuril islands, according to state media.
Will the Houthis shut down Saudi Arabian shipping?
The announcement of a new naval blockade threatens to restart full-scale war between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia
Polls open in Zambia presidential election as economic reforms tested
The vote will test if incumbent Hakainde Hichilema's reforms are enough to overcome widespread economic frustration.
CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iranian threat before Trump switched planes in Turkey – The Washington Post
- CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iranian threat before Trump switched planes in Turkey The Washington Post
- Iran's state media mock Trump over airplane switch, meme shows him hiding in a catering truck Reuters
- Trump's Air Force One shell game: How years of decoy tactics led to a catering-truck switch Fox News
- Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says AP News
- Trump's decoy flight sparked by fears of Iranian cell with shoulder-fired missile: Official 6abc Philadelphia
Indonesia’s free meals drive leaves remote kitchen investors deep in debt – Reuters
Ukraine’s farmers despair as Russia’s Black Sea blockade traps their harvest – Reuters
- Ukraine's farmers despair as Russia's Black Sea blockade traps their harvest Reuters
- How Russian attacks, European protectionism and drought are trapping Ukraine’s vital grain politico.eu
- Russia's lockdown of Odessa ports could be a grim turning point in war Responsible Statecraft
- Record-Low Danube Strains Vital Route for Black Sea Grain Bloomberg.com
- Ukraine exported only 280 thousand tons of grain in the first 12 days of August АПК-Інформ
UK economic growth slows as Iran war pushes up energy prices
GDP expanded by 0.4% in three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, says ONS
Economic growth slowed in the second quarter of the year, as the disruption unleashed by the Iran war began to take its toll, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, in line with City economists’ expectations.
Continue reading...Nearly 4 million Afghan children ‘acutely malnourished’
One in 10 children in Afghanistan are suffering as healthcare funding plummets, Save the Children says.
Yvette Cooper says Labour ‘did not do government very well’ under Starmer
Health secretary praises more collegiate style under Andy Burnham and says previous No 10 sidelined her from key policy launch
Yvette Cooper admits Labour has “not done government very well” in the last couple of years, and accused Keir Starmer’s No 10 of sidelining her during the launch of a key immigration policy when she was home secretary.
Speaking on the Political Currency podcast with the former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, Cooper highlighted some of the difficulties ministers faced with Starmer’s leadership, which she summarised as “bring me solutions, not problems”.
Continue reading...Moscow says it knows where Western ships sail as Putin threatens to seize vessels – Business Insider
- Moscow says it knows where Western ships sail as Putin threatens to seize vessels Business Insider
- Britain warned it lacks firepower needed to defend shipping from Russia The Telegraph
- UK defends seizing shadow fleet tanker after Putin threat BBC
- Putin threatens retaliation for Western seizures of Russian commercial vessels AP News
- Putin says Russia will start seizing European vessels if its ships targeted Reuters
Thursday briefing: What happens after an asylum hotel closes?
In today’s newsletter: With more sites closed and more lives upended, a look at the rhetoric and reality of where asylum seekers should be housed
Good morning. This week, immigration minister Anna Turley announced, with minor fanfare, the government will stop using a further 13 hotels to house asylum seekers across the country.
It brings the total shut this year to 44, in pursuit of Labour’s manifesto pledge, now reiterated by Andy Burnham, to cease hotel use completely by the end of this parliament. Doing so would remove what have become highly visible symbols of an increasingly toxic debate about migration. Less than 160 to go, according to the Home Office.
Solar eclipse | Wednesday’s eclipse began in Russia’s remote Arctic north, going on to trace an arc over much of western Europe. From the UK to northern Italy, tens of millions of people turned to the sky as the light of the setting sun was almost completely blocked out.
UK news | Nurses 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.
US politics | Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, Donald Trump announced.
Science | Astronomers claim to have discovered a new kind of cosmic object, a black hole “star”, which is the size of the entire solar system and glows with a brilliant red light.
Middle East | Israeli militants have besieged two Palestinian families in their homes since the weekend, aiming to take over their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra through a campaign of terror.
Continue reading...Russian strike sparks fire at Ukraine port; Zelenskyy seeks interceptors
Ukraine has reported an acute shortage of Patriot interceptors since the US went to war with Iran in February.
Alan Jones’ lawyers accused by defence of ‘intimidating’ witness in indecent assault case
Judge rejects intimidation claim as high profile trial continues with complainant J’s ex-girlfriend cross-examined by shock jock’s defence team
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The prosecutor in the Alan Jones trial has accused the defence team in court of “intimidating” an alleged victim’s former girlfriend after she asserted she wasn’t financially motivated to provide evidence supporting her ex’s allegations.
On Thursday, complainant J’s ex-girlfriend was cross-examined by Jones’s defence team, during which she maintained she had a conversation with J more than 20 years ago in which he alleged Jones touched him.
Continue reading...Category C and women’s prisons could be upgraded to ease overcrowding
Exclusive: Ministers explore diverting male prisoners serving short terms or on remand away from tougher jails
Ministers are examining a possible upgrade of security at men’s category C and women’s prisons to deal with an overcrowding crisis across the England and Wales estate, the Guardian understands.
Officials have explored diverting prisoners on remand or serving short sentences away from category B “reception” prisons such as HMPs Liverpool, Manchester and Pentonville in north London.
Continue reading...Australia’s largest aluminium smelter to run on renewables by 2033 after Rio Tinto strikes $2.5bn taxpayer bailout deal
Rio Tinto makes power supply deal with federal and NSW government to cut emissions and decarbonise, preventing potential closure
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Resources giant Rio Tinto says Australia’s largest aluminium smelter will run entirely on renewable energy by 2033 after it struck a $2.5bn subsidy deal with the federal and New South Wales governments to prevent a potential closure.
The deal – announced by Anthony Albanese and the NSW premier, Chris Minns, at the Tomago smelter near Newcastle on Thursday – is for a 10-year below-market power supply guarantee that begins after the facility’s existing coal-focused electricity contract with AGL ends in December 2028.
Continue reading...Why tariffs are not the right tool to bolster US production
Donald Trump’s second term has been defined by tariffs, but experts question whether they actually work.
Leavitt to leave as White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt has announced that she will be stepping down from her position as White House press secretary.
Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, Nobel Peace Prize winner tells BBC
In an exclusive interview with the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, Dmitry Muratov says the Kremlin leader can only "destroy Ukraine, not conquer it", with the war now in its fifth year.
Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, Nobel Peace Prize winner tells BBC
In an exclusive interview with the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, Dmitry Muratov says the Kremlin leader can only "destroy Ukraine, not conquer it", with the war now in its fifth year.
Students shun calls to stay in school as anti-Hanson protesters gather across Australia
High schoolers join university walkouts in major cities and several smaller locations amid urge to ‘stand up against the far right’
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Calls for striking students to stay in school are unlikely to deter thousands across the country preparing to take part in a major walkout in protest against Pauline Hanson.
High schoolers have begun joining the coordinated university union protests taking place in every major city and several smaller locations across the country on Thursday afternoon.
Continue reading...