Datacentre projects could face fees for grid access to ease connection queue, Ofgem says 29. July 2026 (09:42) Energy regulator’s plan would mean upfront fees or financial security via letters of credit, bonds or cash depositsDatacentre projects in Britain will be forced to put down significant upfront fees to secure an energy connection under proposals to ease an electricity grid logjam.Ofgem, the sector watchdog, said there were 315 datacentres currently queueing to connect up, representing 73GW of demand. This is almost 30GW above the entire country’s peak energy demand of 45GW. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham’s plans for technical education build on coalition’s UTC roots 29. July 2026 (09:00) PM’s vocational model also takes inspiration from former education secretary Kenneth Baker’s visionAndy Burnham’s plans to put academic and technical education routes on an equal footing in England have been welcomed by many, but none were more enthusiastic than the former Conservative minister Kenneth Baker.“I’m very impressed with what he has said,” the 91-year-old former education secretary, home secretary and Conservative party chair told the Guardian. “It’s a very significant announcement. I’m going to try to persuade the Conservative party to support this.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Zack Polanski will not say sorry to Farage for sharing ‘dangerous’ image 29. July 2026 (08:31) Green party leader says it was ‘a mistake’ and if Farage wants to apologise for times he’s put people in danger he’ll be happy to say sorryThe Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has said he made an “inadvertent mistake” over a social media image but will not apologise to Nigel Farage.The image, which Polanski said he “shared inadvertently” on Instagram and then removed, featured a man wearing a black T-shirt with the message “We’re only making plans for Nigel” and an image of a guillotine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Young Liberal power brokers created ‘shit sheet’ on NSW minister accusing him of extramarital affair 29. July 2026 (08:30) David Elliott denies having affair after document revealed during Icac hearing into corruption allegationsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA group of young conservative power brokers in the New South Wales Liberal party under investigation by the corruption watchdog created a “shit sheet” on a minister from a rival faction, claiming he had an extramarital affair, an inquiry has heard.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) held its third day of hearings as part of Operation Rosny into allegations of corruption against people associated with the NSW Liberal party on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Angus Taylor insists he made no payments to conservative Liberal group amid Icac investigation 29. July 2026 (07:24) Opposition leader says he is ‘not a party to proceedings’ being investigated by NSW corruption watchdog as fellow Liberals close ranksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAngus Taylor says no payments were made in relation to a growing corruption case involving members of the New South Wales Liberal party, insisting he is not a party to the proceedings.Fellow Liberals also closed ranks around the federal opposition leader, sidestepping questions about the hearing by noting his statements and the fact he is not a party to the corruption inquiry’s work. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Organic eggs have worse impact on climate than eggs from caged chickens 29. July 2026 (06:00) Adopting organic free-range model in UK could lead to greenhouse emissions equivalent to 2,316,000 tonnes of CO2, study suggestsOrganic eggs are twice as bad for the climate as eggs from chickens living in cages, research suggests.According to the study, switching the UK’s entire egg production to an organic free-range model would lead to greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 2,316,000 tonnes of CO2 (tCO2e), while production through a fully caged system would emit 1,184,000 tCO2e. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Magic circle: Stonehenge offers lucky visitors 20 minutes alone in monument 29. July 2026 (06:00) Handful of ticketholders will be selected at random for up-close visits to ancient site throughout AugustTrips to Stonehenge can be a little hectic. Tens of thousands of people turn up to celebrate summer and winter solstices and most other days the site is a place of bustle, excited conversation and selfie action.But throughout August, English Heritage is offering visitors the chance to win some guaranteed solitude within the hulking stones. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AI tool will lead to more child refugees being treated as adults, charity warns 29. July 2026 (06:00) ‘Racist bias’ overestimating ages in Home Office’s facial-recognition software will lead to solo children being housed with adults, says Human Rights NetworkFlawed and racialised models that underpin the AI-powered age-detection systems to be introduced by the British government will endanger children, rights groups and children’s charities have warned.Urging ministers to reverse plans to introduce facial age-estimation technology to screen migrants, critics have warned that black children arriving from conflict zones are at risk of being of thrust into the adult system. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Queensland and NT reject Labor’s push to ensure that power-hungry AI datacentres use renewable energy 29. July 2026 (05:19) Federal-state stoush comes as rating agency warns that electricity bills could skyrocketFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland and the Northern Territory have rejected the federal government’s plans to mandate that AI datacentres use renewable power, rubbishing Anthony Albanese’s proposals to regulate the booming technology as “underdeveloped ideas that hand increased power to Canberra”.The latest federal-state stoush on energy comes as S&P Global, the economic rating agency, warns that power use from datacentres could rise five-fold by 2035 to 10% of Australia’s total consumption, and that a mismatch between delivery timelines for datacentres and renewable projects could lead to energy bills skyrocketing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Daniel Andrews says Ben Carroll ‘can win’ Victoria election in rare public statement 29. July 2026 (04:48) Former leader shows support for new Victorian premier while paying tribute to Jacinta AllanFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDaniel Andrews has thrown his support behind Victoria’s new premier, Ben Carroll, saying he has what it takes to win November’s state election.In a rare public statement on Wednesday, the former premier also paid tribute to Jacinta Allan, who he handpicked to replace him as Labor leader when he resigned in September 2023. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
