Keir Starmer does not have a problem with women, the transport secretary, Louise Haigh, has said, adding that the prime minister had promoted a number of women – but she admitted the government had made “missteps”. Haigh, one of a number of female cabinet ministers who had been close to Starmer’s former chief of staff…
A critically endangered orchid has received a late reprieve after a local environmental group threatened legal action against the Victorian government, prompting officials to cancel a planned burn of its habitat. The bald-tip beard orchid – a species with fewer than 10 plants remaining in the Australian wild – was thought extinct until rediscovered in…
Water companies in England and Wales will have to return nearly £158m to customers through lower bills next year after falling further behind on key targets including sewage spills and leaks. The regulator, Ofwat, announced the penalties as part of its annual review of companies’ performance. The report showed that companies reduced sewage spills by…
Keir Starmer’s decision to accept clothing freebies “looks greedy”, according to Boris Johnson. The former prime minister criticised his Labour successor’s decision to accept gifts of clothing and glasses, saying Starmer “must be worth a bob or two” as a result of his legal career. Johnson made the remarks as he defended his government’s decision…
The $74bn Greater Sunrise gas project – which has been decades in the making – could be under way by the end of the year, the Timor-Leste president, José Ramos-Horta, said. But he also said the pipeline and the accompanying processing work must go to his nation, not Darwin. The enormous gas field was found…
I received a brief letter from my car insurer stating that “having reviewed your current details, we won’t be able to renew your car insurance policy arranged by John Lewis Finance and underwritten by Covea Insurance plc”. It transpired this is because my occupation is recorded as “author”, which is deemed an “unacceptable risk”. This,…
Victoria’s education minister has defended a decision to move hundreds of students from an overcrowded inner-Melbourne high school into a rented CBD office building, describing it as a “temporary” solution. University High School’s principal, Ciar Foster, wrote to parents on Monday to inform them that due to “a significant enrolment increase in recent years” a…
The Samsung logo is on display at their pavilion during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on February 28, 2024. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said it expects worse-than-expected profit for the third quarter. In guidance released Tuesday, the world’s…
White House warns supreme court has allowed Texas to deny women abortions in emergencies At the ongoing White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the supreme court has effectively allowed Texas to deny women abortions even in emergencies, by refusing to take up a Biden administration lawsuit against the state today. “Today…
The first person charged with performing the Nazi salute in Victoria has been found guilty of the offence. Jacob Hersant, 25, stared straight ahead as a magistrate, Brett Sonnet, handed down his decision on Tuesday morning. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Hersant pleaded not guilty to performing the salute on 27 October…
