Witness told Alan Jones he was ‘the greatest broadcaster ever’ while labelling SMH reporter a ‘bitch’ 08. September 2026 (06:40) Former 2GB and 2UE radio host has denied 22 indecent assault and sexual touching chargesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA friend of Alan Jones who has denied witnessing an alleged assault in a Mosman restaurant has agreed in court that he sent the broadcaster a text message saying “if you need me to refute any lies, I of course will”.Under cross-examination by prosecutor Georgina Wright, the witness agreed he was a loyal and “very good friend” to Jones and the two men shared an “unbreakable bond”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hijacking pirates exploit regional chaos to return to seas off Somalia 08. September 2026 (06:00) US-Israel war on Iran and political instability in Somalia lead to pirates targeting cargo ships off Horn of AfricaThe scourge of Somali piracy targeting cargo ships and smaller dhows off the Horn of Africa has returned to levels not seen in a decade, driven by a convergence of factors including disruptions to the shipping industry caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran and a resurgence of political instability in Somalia.Since late April there have been eight hijackings by Somali pirates, including two within the space of a fortnight in August: one targeting an oil tanker with ties to Iran, the other a Cameroon-flagged vessel, the Lutuf, carrying military equipment for Turkey. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Majority of Tory and Reform voters do not back cuts to disability benefits, survey finds 08. September 2026 (06:00) Nearly half of respondents say spending on personal independence payments should be increasedThere is little appetite for cuts to disability benefits even among Conservative and Reform voters, and proposals to reduce spending could prove politically risky, according to an authoritative national survey.The British Social Attitudes (BSA) report found that while support for welfare spending as a whole had dipped sharply in recent years, just 7% of respondents backed cuts to disability benefits – and 49% said they should be increased. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Forced out with nowhere to go’: First Nations families face eviction as council sells homes over charity’s unpaid rates 08. September 2026 (05:25) Mount Isa city council to auction off first of 24 homes after Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Welfare Services accrues almost $1m in unpaid debtsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA rural Queensland council is auctioning off 24 homes to recover unpaid rates, potentially forcing First Nations families into homelessness.Residents claim they were left in the dark about the debt, which stretches back years, until five months ago. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Barnaby Joyce says he’s not ‘Jesus Christ’ and admits One Nation has not modelled super policy in fiery interviews 08. September 2026 (04:18) Jim Chalmers says One Nation’s superannuation policy is ‘an absolute shambles’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce, One Nation’s Treasury spokesperson, says his party has not modelled the potential impact on retirement incomes and inflation from his party’s plan to give millions of households early access to their super savings in his second combative interview in two days.The morning after telling the ABC’s 7.30 program that he “was not Jesus Christ” and so could not be expected to know everything, Joyce on Tuesday ridiculed any suggestion that One Nation’s proposal should have included the economic analysis that typically accompanies major policy proposals. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nepal says big polluters must ‘wake up’ as it calls for climate compensation over flood disaster 08. September 2026 (02:58) Foreign minister Shisir Khanal tells the Guardian the world’s biggest economies need to help Nepal, which contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions Nepal is demanding $20m in climate compensation for the recent devastating floods, as a senior minister called on the world’s most polluting countries to “wake up” and accept shared responsibility for a disaster that led to the death or disappearance of more than 6,000 people.Scientists believe the climate crisis had a role to play in the floods, which were triggered when a melting glacier partially collapsed and set off a deadly landslide and flash flooding through Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal in late August. So far, more than 1,300 are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 still missing, with hopes of their survival diminished after 12 days of rescue operations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US woman charged with killing son ‘very invested’ in Lindsay Clancy trial, prosecutors say 08. September 2026 (01:41) Corie Walsh charged with murder after two-year-old Barrett found dead in basement of Illinois family home last weekAn Illinois woman charged with killing her two-year-old son had been closely following the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy and was texting friends about the case just hours before her son was found dead, prosecutors said.Corie Walsh, 40, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after her son, Barrett, was found dead in the basement of the family’s suburban Chicago home last Tuesday, according to court records obtained by NBC Chicago. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canada’s retaliatory US tariffs set to take effect as trade dispute grows 08. September 2026 (01:20) Counter-measures covering several sectors come after Trump announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods Canada is set to impose retaliatory tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of American imports early on Tuesday, escalating a trade fight with its largest trading partner as tensions between US president Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney intensify.The tariffs, which take effect at 12.01am on Tuesday, will range from 15% to 50% and apply to products covering C$27.6bn in imports from the US. The measures will target sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics – industries that have been most affected by US tariffs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cities in Great Britain most vulnerable to extreme heat revealed 08. September 2026 (01:01) OS index examines which ‘urban heat islands’ suffer the most – and which cope the best with rising temperaturesPortsmouth, Leicester, Exeter, Bristol and Nottingham will be among the cities that warm the most by the end of this century as global heating turns British cities into urban heat islands, according to research.Analysis from Ordnance Survey (OS) has created a heat vulnerability index for all cities in Great Britain. Portsmouth, which sits on the south coast of England and is home to 208,000 people, is the most vulnerable to extreme heat today and into the future, according to the research from the OS, the Met Office and the data analysis company 4 Earth Intelligence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NSW Greens MP pleads with federal colleagues not to back National party motion to block koala park deal 08. September 2026 (00:06) Federal Greens partyroom split over plan for NSW to get millions of dollars’ worth in carbon credits for creating a koala national parkFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA New South Wales Greens MP has pleaded with her federal colleagues not to vote with the Coalition and One Nation to block a plan for the NSW government to get millions of dollars’ worth in carbon credits for creating a koala national park.Sue Higginson, a former lawyer and forest campaigner turned NSW upper house MP, is the first member of the minor party to speak in detail about a dispute that has split the Greens and environmentalists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
