The Guardian

Exclusive: Campaigners call for government to introduce right-to-roam bill that allows people to walk around their local woodlands Nearly three-quarters of England’s woods are off-limits to the public, buried government documents show. The study by Forest Research, which is a government-funded quango, found that 73% of English woodland is publicly inaccessible. Continue reading...

NT government says the rent freeze will be ‘applied automatically for eligible housing tenants’ as floodwaters break records in the Big Rivers region Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Northern Territory government will freeze rental payments for public housing tenants affected by historic floods spreading across…

Mohammad Pournajaf, Tehran’s former charge d’affaires in Canberra, sought protection in 2023, government source confirms One of Iran’s former top diplomats in Australia has defected from the theocratic regime, with the revelations only coming to light this week after six members of the Iranian women’s football squad were granted protection . London-based news outlet Iran International, which is n…

In China, one social media trend hangs on the idea that a life in the US is always one step from disaster, while another in the US has gen Z revelling in Chinese lifestyle hacks Across two online worlds that are normally splintered, over the last few months there has been a mirroring of sorts. On TikTok and Instagram, young people are diving into the joys of Chinese culture – from drinking hot wa…

US central command says aircraft lost in ‘friendly airspace’, adding that the crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire Middle East war creating ‘largest supply disruption in history of oil markets’ How have you been affected by the latest Middle East events? Hello and welcome to our ongoing live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the impact it is having on the region and the glo…

Energy minister cuts fuel companies’ minimum stock obligations to free up diesel and petrol, which will be directed to regional Australia Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia will begin releasing its stockpile of fuel after the government directed fuel companies to release nearly a fifth of reserve petrol and…

Suspect who was convicted in 2016 for supporting Islamic State is dead after attack kills one and leaves two injured Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The suspect who killed one person and injured two others at Old Dominion University on Thursday was identified by authorities as Mohamed Jalloh, a former member of the army national guard who pleaded guil…

Cross-party committee says service is ‘jewel in crown of UK’s soft power’ but is diminished by poor governance Ministers risk “opening the door to propaganda from hostile states” and diminishing international trust in the BBC World Service by allowing its funding to be frozen at a crucial time, parliament’s spending watchdog has said. The cross-party public accounts committee (PAC) said it was de…

Committee says thousands of victims still waiting for compensation and ‘face unacceptable delays and inadequate offers’ The redress schemes for victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal have “serious structural failings”, a parliamentary committee has found. Thousands of post office operators are still waiting for the compensation they are owed and face “unacceptable delays, inadequate offers, a…

Rudeness, social media posts and AI-generated complaints among issues harming staff wellbeing, union survey finds Teachers are used to outbreaks of rudeness and defiance from their pupils, but are now saying parents are some of the worst offenders and affecting staff mental health, according to a headteachers’ union. More than 90% of headteachers and other senior leaders said they had been on the…

TfL are also poised to increase 20mph zones and cut speed limits on the capital’s fastest roads later this year Owners of SUVs could face charges to drive in London, after the mayor and transport authorities said they were reviewing the increased danger posed by larger, heavier cars. Proposals to clamp down on the biggest vehicles could come later this year, with Transport for London (TfL) also p…

Meta and YouTube accused of creating harmful products in trial seen as a bellwether for attitudes towards social media The first-ever jury trial over the potential harms of social media wrapped up on Thursday. Lawyers for Meta and YouTube have argued their platforms are safe for the vast majority of young people, while lawyers for a young woman at the center of the case say the tech companies hav…

No serious casualties among those at Temple Israel, and explosives reportedly found in suspect’s vehicle Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A man rammed his vehicle into a Michigan synagogue and drove through a hallway on Thursday before he was shot dead by security staff, officials said. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the incident at Tem…

Teenage boy and girl riding ebike were declared dead at scene in Greenbank on Thursday night, Queensland police say Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Two teenagers have died after a crash between an ebike and a motorcycle in the suburb of Greenbank, south of Brisbane, on Thursday night. Queensland police said invest…

The US already spent more than $11.3bn in first six days of conflict, but price tag does not include all spending Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Pentagon officials told top lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Tuesday that the cost of the war against Iran has already exceeded $11.3bn in its first six days, but the true cost of the opening days of t…