Coles adds 20c to the price of milk as war in the Middle East pushes up Australian grocery costs 22. April 2026 (09:56) Farmers have been calling for higher prices for weeks, amid soaring diesel and fertiliser costs and limited supplyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastColes has increased home-brand milk prices by up to 20c a litre, with Woolworths set to follow as war in the Middle East starts to hit Australian grocery costs.The price rise will support the company’s bottom line against pressure from higher fuel and operating costs, while some of the revenue will be temporarily passed on to dairy farmers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘An element of exploitation’: the world of TikTok child skincare influencers 22. April 2026 (09:00) Experts say regulation of child influencers sits in a legal grey area as children promote products on social media#ToddlerSkincare: the ‘dark and exploitative’ world of children’s beauty videos on TikTokIn a TikTok video a young girl – her age anywhere between 10 and 15 – sits unboxing package after package of products she says were sent to her by skincare brands. She calls it a “PR haul”.In another video, a 16-year-old opens a box of products she received from a well known brand. She says: “I know I have younger people watching,” before reading out a note from the brand that says: “Can’t wait for you to share your thoughts.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Channel Seven’s Spotlight digging for dirt on clean energy ignores fundamental facts and basic journalistic standards | Temperature Check 22. April 2026 (08:42) Program portrayed efforts to wean Australia off fossil fuels as morally bankrupt, trashing rainforests and enslaving Australia to ChinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren sieve mud, workers drop down claustrophobic hand-cut mine shafts, men grimace while others carve out rock with chisels in bare feet to recover cobalt “for our renewable green dream”.These were the dramatic scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a “special investigation” from Channel Seven’s Spotlight program, aired in prime-time on Sunday evening. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK inflation rises to 3.3% amid soaring fuel prices driven by Iran war 22. April 2026 (08:01) Annual March rate adds to pressure on household finances and follows warnings of slowdown to UK economyBusiness live – latest updatesUK inflation rose by 3.3% in March after the surge in fuel prices triggered by the Iran war led to the biggest jump in transport costs since December 2022.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the consumer prices index increased last month from 3% in February, adding to pressure on household finances already battered by a cost of living crisis. The rise matched City economists’s forecasts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The Deb actor in feud with Rebel Wilson signed $150,000 record deal, court told 22. April 2026 (07:34) Wilson is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes over social media posts alleging a sexual harassment complaintFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn actor accusing Rebel Wilson of damaging her career secured a $150,000 record deal with a publicist representing international superstars amid the feud with Wilson.Charlotte MacInnes is suing the Pitch Perfect actor over social media posts claiming MacInnes complained about feeling uncomfortable after bathing with Wilson’s co-producer on musical film The Deb, Amanda Ghost. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
El Salvador holds mass trial for 486 alleged members of notorious MS-13 gang 22. April 2026 (07:34) Human rights groups have warned that the collective prosecutions violate due process and block defendants from accessing legal counselA Salvadoran court on Tuesday began a collective trial of 486 alleged gang members, in one of the biggest mass trials under president Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence through controversial emergency powers.Prosecutors say the charges against alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, span more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that was El Salvador’s bloodiest since its civil war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Woolworths’ ‘Prices Dropped’ rules intended to prevent ‘gaming’ the promotional system, executive tells court 22. April 2026 (07:09) Senior manager at supermarket giant gives evidence on day two of case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA senior Woolworths executive has defended relaxing rules designed to protect shoppers from misleading discounts by preventing the supermarket or suppliers from “gaming” the “Prices Dropped” promotional program.Woolworths’ chief commercial officer, Paul Harker, gave evidence on the second day of a landmark trial between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Woolworths in the federal court on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 160,000 people to be removed from NDIS as Labor unveils ‘unavoidable and urgent’ cuts 22. April 2026 (07:06) Federal health minister Mark Butler announces major changes and says scheme is costing ‘too much and is growing too fast’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt least 160,000 people are expected to be removed from the national disability insurance scheme by 2030, as the Albanese government looks to claw back savings by changing who can access the scheme.The health minister, Mark Butler, also announced on Wednesday the $50bn scheme’s growth rate will be brought down to just 2% every year until 2030 in an effort to curb annual plan inflation and produce billions in savings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK could face ‘hacktivist attacks at scale’, says head of security agency 22. April 2026 (07:00) Officials warn a conflict situation could cause disruption similar to recent major ransomware incidentsThe UK could face “hacktivist attacks at scale” if it becomes embroiled in a conflict and the impact could be similar to recent high-profile ransomware incidents, according to the head of the country’s online security agency.Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC deals with. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds 22. April 2026 (07:00) Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024Democracy is under mounting threat from the climate crisis, with new analysis documenting how elections are increasingly shaped not only by political forces but also by floods, wildfires and extreme weather.At least 94 elections and referendums across 52 countries have been disrupted by climate-related impacts over the last two decades, researchers found. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
