Brexit rules on food exports to be scrapped, government confirms 28. May 2026 (10:00) Agreement affecting meat, plants and packaging promises to end paperwork ‘hell’ and border delays from 2027Business live – latest updatesBrexit rules affecting UK food exports to the EU, including fresh sausages and burgers, will be scrapped from mid-2027 in the first confirmed result of Keir Starmer’s “reset” negotiations with Brussels, the government has announced.When the rules come into force, exporters of meat – whether fresh, frozen or processed – will no longer require costly veterinary certificates to prove they meet EU standards. Nor will they need similar documentation for plants or wood packaging material. Businesses selling into Northern Ireland will no longer require health labels. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US firm fined for Australian immigration security failures. How much? Border force refuses to say 28. May 2026 (09:26) Gavan Reynolds cites ‘commercial-in-confidence nature of the contract’ in declining to answer Greens senator’s question in parliamentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe US private prison company running Australian immigration detention centres was slapped with penalties by the Australian government after allowing a dozen escapes, but the head of the Australian Border Force has declined to reveal the cost of the punishment.Greens senator David Shoebridge was scathing of what he called “a disturbing set of reports” about private prison company MTC and its local subsidiary Secure Journeys, revealed in a Guardian Australia investigation this week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mitigating Mandelson risks would have been impossible, says former MI6 chief 28. May 2026 (09:00) Vetting of former UK ambassador to Washington warned of ties to senior figures in China, Russia and IsraelA former head of MI6 has said it would have been “totally impossible” for the Foreign Office to put in place mitigations to manage Peter Mandelson’s associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel when he was the UK’s ambassador to the US.On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed some of the concerns that contributed to security officials recommending that Mandelson be denied developed vetting clearance in early 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘My hospital room is unbearable’: how the heatwave is affecting Britons 28. May 2026 (08:00) As the UK experiences some of its hottest ever May weather, five people share their concerns – and tips for keeping coolThe UK is experiencing some of the hottest May weather ever recorded, with temperatures surpassing 35C in parts of England on Tuesday.Campaigners have warned that Britain’s public buildings are dangerously unprepared for rising temperatures, calling for better cooling systems in hospitals, care homes and other spaces used by vulnerable people. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Standing up for our children’: parents divided over London teachers’ strikes 28. May 2026 (08:00) Waltham Forest in the east of the capital has seen a wave of industrial action in schools, with more to come The gates to South Grove primary school in Walthamstow were closed to pupils last week.Teachers were on strike as part of a disparate wave of industrial action by members of the National Education Union (NEU) in schools across the borough of Waltham Forest in east London. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Greener pasture of a shepherd’s life lures Chinese workers penned in by ‘996’ jobs 28. May 2026 (07:19) When an Inner Mongolia farmer sought two herders to tend his 3,000 sheep, he was swamped with applicants including graduates, factory labourers and white-collar workersA Chinese farm owner’s recruitment drive for shepherds has ended in success after his job advert seeking people to work on his Inner Mongolia ranch went viral, drawing the attention of city dwellers struggling to find work and highlighting growing strains in China’s labour market.Zuo Xiaoyong posted an advert on Chinese social media in late April seeking two shepherds, preferably a couple, to take 3,000 sheep out to graze on a 2,000ha pasture in the summer. The shepherds would also undertake indoor feeding and cleaning during the winter when temperatures can drop below -30C at his ranch roughly 300km from Xilinhot city, near the Mongolian border. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Britain ‘sleepwalking into a food crisis’ without urgent action, experts say 28. May 2026 (07:00) Industry figures warn of national security risk and call for ministers to address impact of extreme weather, inflation and Iran warBritain is “sleepwalking into a food crisis” caused by extreme weather, inflation and the impacts of the Iran war – and the government is failing to take the threat seriously, food experts have said.Farmers are facing severe strain from the current heatwave following a dry spring, with many crops likely to yield less as temperatures rise beyond their tolerance. Livestock are also suffering heat stress and there is a rising risk of wildfires. Economic losses are likely to be measured in the hundreds of millions of pounds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cigarette butts for free food? How one group is asking people to rethink litter 28. May 2026 (07:00) The WasteBar food truck hopes the eye-catching deal will change people’s attitude to waste in the NetherlandsUsing cigarette butts to buy buttery Dutch pancakes? That is the deal one food truck is offering at festivals in the Netherlands as a way to get people thinking about litter.Cigarette butts are the most common form of plastic waste in the world, with more than 4.5tn butts produced every year. In the Netherlands the estimated figure is in the hundreds of millions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Santos accused of ‘stringing everybody along’ over Narrabri gas project 28. May 2026 (06:58) CEO tells investors firm won’t ‘exert any effort’ while it awaits approvals as opponents urge the miner to ‘spike the project finally’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSantos chief executive, Kevin Gallagher, has told an investor briefing the company will not be “exerting any effort” on its Narrabri gas project while it awaits outstanding approvals, prompting fresh questions about the future of the controversial development.Gallagher told investors this week the company was prioritising exploration in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin, where it is pursuing an expansion. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia sues 3M for record-breaking sum over Pfas ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting foam 28. May 2026 (06:17) Federal government seeks more than $2bn in damages from multinational manufacturer in its largest legal claim everFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government said on Thursday it had launched legal action against the multinational manufacturer 3M over Pfas chemical contamination at defence bases, seeking damages of more than $2bn (US$1.4bn).The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, said the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals”, in firefighting foam had caused major environmental and economic harm, resulting in the largest legal claim ever brought by the federal government. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
