Nicola Sturgeon: I feel as if I’m serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit pred 12 urami in 42 minutami Former Scottish first minister says she will not apologise for actions of her ex- husband found guilty of embezzlementNicola Sturgeon has said feels like she is “serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit” after her former husband and former Scottish National party chief executive, Peter Murrell, admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.Murrell pleaded guilty this week to embezzling the sum from the SNP between 2010 and 2022 to fund a lavish personal lifestyle. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It’ll be like Barbenheimer’: UK gripped by new wave of Beatlemania in lead-up to four biopics pred 12 urami in 43 minutami Fab Four are still making waves 60 years on – and upcoming Sam Mendes films are expected to turn the hype up to 11If anyone needed a reminder of the enduring cultural clout of the Beatles, the past few weeks have provided a glut. Firstly, there’s the small matter of The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Paul McCartney’s 20th solo album, billed as “an adventurous and limber take on guitar music” by the Guardian.When England announced their World Cup squad, the soundtrack was Come Together, played alongside a film of fashionable young people in New York and a clip of a young, puckish John Lennon. The same week Stephen Colbert was played off from his final episode of the Late Show by a Paul McCartney rendition of Hello Goodbye. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Government declines to protect Indigenous sacred site to be bulldozed for Brisbane Olympic stadium pred 14 urami in 6 minutami Environment minister Murray Watt decides against emergency declaration to halt construction but does not rule out ‘longer term protections’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government has decided against an 11th-hour intervention to halt construction of an Olympic stadium and aquatic centre in the heart of Brisbane, in a park that traditional owners say is a First Nations sacred site.The environment minister, Murray Watt, issued a statement on Sunday afternoon to say he had considered applications made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act for him to stop construction in Victoria Park. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Recruiter who was allowed to buy back his insolvent firm falls behind on payments after offering staff Vegas trip pred 14 urami in 44 minutami Premier Group Recruitment went into administration with debts of £2.9m – including £647,000 owed to HMRCA recruitment executive – who was allowed to buy back the assets of his bust company in instalments despite it accumulating almost £3m of debt – has fallen behind on promised payments after pledging to send staff on an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas.The development is the latest case to raise questions about the practice of “phoenixism”, accounting’s controversial art of liquidating companies to allow directors to rise from the ashes with a new entity, free of debts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Japan defence minister rebuffs claims of ‘new militarism’ levelled by China pred 15 urami in 42 minutami Shinjiro Koizumi says Japan valued as a ‘peace-loving’ nation while China expands military capabilities ‘without sufficient transparency’Japan’s defence minister took a veiled swipe at China on Sunday, pledging to keep strengthening the military despite Beijing’s criticism of Tokyo’s increasingly muscular security stance.Under the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, Japan has quickened its pivot to a more proactive defence policy, further shaking off – with US encouragement – its pacifist outlook in place since the end of the second world war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thousands without power in Perth as destructive storms hit WA pred 16 urami in 15 minutami Wind gusts up to 125km/h forecast to hit city as residents urged to stay away from windowsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTens of thousands of residents have been left without power in Perth as an intense storm lashed Australia’s west coast, with authorities warning on Sunday morning the worst was still to come.The powerful weather event was forecast to bring wind gusts of up to 125km/h to Perth and communities along Western Australia’s coast. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Germany’s embattled nightlife scene welcomes plan to reclassify clubs pred 16 urami in 44 minutami There is hope that a change to building regulations could resurrect music clubs, which have been hit by rising rents, social shifts and noise disputesA move by the German government to reclassify nightclubs to distinguish them from amusement and adult entertainment facilities could give a much-needed boost to the country’s struggling nightlife, industry advocates say.Under a fundamental change to building regulations approved by Friedrich Merz’s cabinet last week, nightclubs will be formally recognised as providing cultural and artistic value, making it more difficult for developers to evict venue operators in favour of new construction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel pursuing ‘scorched earth’ policy, says Lebanon PM, as more airstrikes hit country’s south pred 18 urami in 7 minutami Nawaf Salam says Israel collectively punishing southern Lebanon and forcing people ‘into exile’ but defends security talks with Tel AvivLebanon’s prime minister accused Israel on Saturday of pursuing a “scorched-earth policy” in his country’s south, urging a halt to the fighting as Israel carried out fresh airstrikes and issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen locations.A day after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his forces had advanced deeper into Lebanon, his counterpart Nawaf Salam warned the country was facing a “dangerous” escalation, and called for “a swift and real ceasefire”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The household battery revolution that could change energy bills … and the world pred 20 urami in 44 minutami Australia is pioneering a revolution in home renewables and battery use, proving what is possible with the right policiesThe timing was rich with symbolism. As intense heatwaves pummelled Europe and Asia, and oil markets around the world leapt and sputtered, the two big chimneys of one of Australia’s largest power stations were being demolished. Meanwhile, the Australian energy minister was holding a media conference to hail a fall of up to 10% in the benchmark electricity price in parts of the country.Quietly, and with surprisingly little fanfare from the rest of the world, Australia is pioneering a revolution in home renewables and battery use, proving what is possible with the right policies. The country was already one of the global leaders in domestic solar power, with panels on one in three homes. It also remains, however, a major contributor to the climate crisis through its vast fossil fuel exports.. But it is batteries that are giving Australia a new burst of speed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Paris police arrest more than 130 as PSG fans celebrate Champions League win over Arsenal pred 22 urami in 6 minutami Paris Saint-Germain supporters aimed fireworks at police officers who responded with teargas, according to reportsParis police deployed thousands of officers to control crowds at some of the city’s hotspots, using teargas and arresting more than 130 people, after Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Arsenal in Saturday’s Champions League final.Footage aired on the news channel BFM showed scenes of tensions and brief skirmishes around PSG’s Parc de Princes stadium in western Paris, where more than 40,000 people watched the club win its second consecutive title on penalties at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on giant screens. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
