The Guardian

Home affairs minister Tony Burke says return permit ‘has to be issued’ following advice from agencies and lawyers Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An Australian woman linked to the Islamic State group has been given authorisation to return to Australia, after the government was advised it could no longer enforce a …

Experts say law not enough to stop children accessing harmful content online and more ‘convincing strategy is required’ More than 80% of under-16s in Australia said they were still using social media three months after legislation banning them from it came into force, research shows. Australia is the first country to ban social media for children. Since December 2025, under-16s have been prohibit…

Sadiq Khan said procurement rules had been broken but allows police another 12 months to operate pilot in London The Metropolitan police has been granted a 12-month extension to a pilot project with the spy tech firm Palantir while the force carries out a procurement process. The development comes weeks after the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, blocked a £50m deal between the Met and the US company …

Transcript of congressional testimony shows Microsoft founder spoke of ‘veiled’ threats made by late sex offender Microsoft founder Bill Gates told US members of Congress that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had sought to “blackmail” him over his extramarital affairs, according to a transcript of the testimony. The tech pioneer testified behind closed doors before the House oversight commit…

Josue Baires Alfaro, 22, identified as victim in Nevada Fall incident that nearly claimed life of woman who tried to help A 22-year-old visitor to Yosemite national park in California died after he was swept over a 594ft-high waterfall on Saturday, officials confirmed this week. A fellow parkgoer, Freesia Gaul, was capturing a photo when she noticed the man, reportedly identified by local authori…

Driver told authorities he had driver-assistance technology engaged before crash that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila The US government has opened a second federal investigation into a recent crash of a Tesla that reportedly had driver-assistance technology engaged, struck a Texas home and killed a resident. Meanwhile, the family of Martha Avila, the 76-year-old resident who was killed, has sued …

New party dubbed Community Strong Australia follows secret talks about future of community independents Teal independents Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender have launched a new political party called Community Strong Australia, with the aim of providing a centrist alternative for voters amid the rise of One Nation and the turmoil inside the Coalition. The party will focus on issues including housi…

Sheriff in rural Texas says ‘it’s still at large’ after claim Gracie had been located after wandering off private ranch For almost two weeks, residents of a rural Texas county have been looking, mostly up, for a missing giraffe called Gracie that wandered off from a private game ranch. On Wednesday, the mystery of the free-roaming mammal’s odyssey deepened further, when a local sheriff disputed a…

Aemo modelling shows electricity use will nearly double by 2050. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji with the main action. There will be plenty of politics to come but we start with good news: thanks to the recen…

A 41-year-old man has been arrested after Isaac Clare-Watts, 26, found at Nine Ladies monument on Monday A 26-year-old man who died in a suspected murder during a summer solstice event at a Bronze Age stone circle has been named by police. Isaac Clare-Watts, from Nottingham, was found at the Nine Ladies stone circle in Stanton Lees in the Peak District in Derbyshire at about 1.38pm on Monday. Con…

Report uncovers biggest childbirth scandal in NHS history in which 520 mothers and babies suffered ‘potentially avoidable’ harm or died Horrific failings led to 520 mothers and babies in Nottingham suffering harm or dying, sparking calls for a public inquiry into maternity care across England. In all, 444 women and 76 newborn babies suffered “potentially avoidable” outcomes, a damning three-year …

Refugee charities fear controversial changes, including on forced removals and age checks, are being rushed through Shabana Mahmood’s controversial plans to increase the forced removal of people refused asylum, introduce stringent age checks for people claiming to be children and limit applications under human rights laws are scheduled to be placed before MPs within days. The immigration and asyl…

Defence minister says troops not withdrawing though Tehran sees end to war in Lebanon as part of deal with US The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Israeli troops would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, further complicating Iran peace talks as fighting in Lebanon continues to be an obstacle to permanent peace. Speaking on stage in an interview in Tel Aviv, Katz said Israeli t…

Husband arrested after Sylvie Yasmina, 54, and five children found at home in north-western province Pakistan police say they have rescued a French woman and her five children after she told authorities she had been held captive by her husband for more than a decade and subjected to years of domestic abuse in the country’s north-west. The woman, identified as 54-year-old Sylvie Yasmina, was rescu…

Downing Street figures plan to convince Burnham to revive ‘war bonds’ when he becomes prime minister Downing Street aides are planning to lobby Andy Burnham during access talks to revive the idea of “war bonds” to pay for higher defence spending when he becomes prime minister, the Guardian understands. Senior No 10 figures want the Treasury to be allowed to borrow more for military spending and w…