Half a million trees to be planted in England in three years, says government 30. September 2026 (08:08) Exclusive: Environment secretary Angela Eagle to make pledge as part of efforts to protect against extreme weatherHalf a million trees will be planted across England in the next three years to protect against extreme weather, the environment secretary, Angela Eagle, will pledge on Wednesday morning.Mayors, local authorities, charities and grassroots groups will be given new funding and responsibilities for restoring natural landscapes such as wetlands, river edges and meadows, which can provide natural flood management and reduce the damage done by droughts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Malaysia begins Myanmar repatriations despite warnings from UN and rights groups 30. September 2026 (08:05) Kuala Lumpur plans to send a total of 5,000 Myanmar nationals back to the war-torn country despite persecution concerns Malaysia began sending back about 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Tuesday, the government confirmed, as it launched a scheme that rights groups say may endanger migrants and asylum seekers by returning them to the war-torn country.The group is the first of 5,000 Myanmar citizens that Kuala Lumpur says agreed to “voluntary” repatriation from detention centres amid a huge uptick in anti-migrant sentiment in Malaysia. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
World’s seas heated by a record 23 zettajoules last year 30. September 2026 (08:00) The injection of thermal energy, 40 times that used by humanity in total, comes amid an increasing rise in sea levels and continuing acidificationA record-breaking 23 zettajoules of heat was sunk into the world’s seas last year, leaving ocean waters hotter, higher and less hospitable, a report has found.The explosive addition of thermal energy, which was almost 40 times greater than all the energy humanity used that year, comes amid far-reaching changes to the deep water bodies fundamental to life on Earth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Menopause supplements costing more than £400 a year ‘no better than cheap multivitamin’ 30. September 2026 (08:00) Many products aimed at women over 45 lack meaningful quantities of key nutrients, consumer watchdog Which? foundMenopause supplements costing more than £400 a year are no better than a £22-a-year multivitamin, according to analysis by the consumer watchdog Which?.Which? found that many popular supplements that are aimed at women over 45 going through menopause or perimenopause lack meaningful quantities of key nutrients, yet cost 20 times more than standard multivitamins. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Approval of biggest coal project in NSW planning commission’s history described as ‘infamous betrayal’ 30. September 2026 (07:48) Independent Planning Commission says climate change impacts from Hunter Valley project will be ‘outweighed’ by economic benefitsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales independent planner has approved the biggest coalmine project to ever go before it, allowing mining to continue until 2045 at a Hunter Valley project described by climate groups as a “carbon bomb”.The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has greenlit the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) Continuation Project after a contentious assessment that drew in climate and environment groups, unions, state authorities and more than 10,000 public submissions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Double beds, aircon and big-screen TVs: Indonesia suspends officials over luxury prison cells 30. September 2026 (07:27) Indonesia’s prisons have long faced allegations that well-connected inmates can obtain preferential treatment through briberyFive Indonesian prison officials have been suspended after investigators found an apartment-style compound complete with airconditioners, big-screen televisions and expensive cars allegedly used by inmates at a prison near Jakarta.“We found strong indications that certain prisoners had access to special facilities unavailable to ordinary prisoners,” said Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan, a member of Indonesia’s ombudsman, on Tuesday. “We encountered prisoners inside the residential compound and discovered facilities resembling home stays, apartments and villas rather than prison housing.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NSW man accused of murdering neighbour – and then murdering his relative two weeks later 30. September 2026 (07:20) Police allege Nicholas Scott killed 79-year-old then ‘set upon’ 59-year-old relative who arrived at Gurranang to sort out estateFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man accused of murdering two members of a family on the same property a fortnight apart has faced court.The body of a 59-year-old man was found by police on Monday afternoon in a shed on a property at Gurranang, about 25km north of Grafton in northern New South Wales. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reanimated AI Greta Garbo stars again … in a ball-bearing advert 30. September 2026 (07:00) Relatives of Hollywood legend say her doppelganger could now be used for more glamorous rolesShe shimmered in Hollywood’s silent movie era and lit up the first talkies – now Greta Garbo may be about to star in cinema’s new AI age.More than a century after her screen debut and decades after her ashes were laid to rest in a Swedish woodland cemetery, the Hollywood superstar’s descendants are ready to consider an AI version of her taking a 21st-century film role. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inflation leaps to 4% stoking fears of fifth interest rate hike before Christmas 30. September 2026 (06:40) Jim Chalmers says ‘higher global oil prices flowing through to oil prices in Australia’ are to blame for inflation rising from 3.5%Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInflation has jumped to 4% in the year to August, from 3.5%, as Jim Chalmers was again forced to defend Labor’s economic management amid fears the Reserve Bank will need to hike interest rates again before Christmas.The increasingly embattled treasurer was accused of “gaslighting” Australians by insisting that government spending was not responsible for high inflation, blaming instead higher fuel costs associated with the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Beau Lamarre-Condon trial: crime scene photos paint harrowing picture of alleged murder victims’ final moments 30. September 2026 (06:16) Former police officer has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in early 2024Warning: graphic contentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWarning: graphic contentA hole in a door and a bullet bent out of shape: crime scene photos shown to a jury paint a harrowing picture of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies’ final moments. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
