Takeaway coffee sales plunge as fuel and living costs dent Australian spending. Is the economy next? 22. April 2026 (02:00) The trend has been accelerated by the US-Israel war on Iran, leaving households – and cafe owners – glum, surveys suggestFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFor many coffee drinkers, takeaway orders are changing from a habitual purchase to an occasional treat, as elevated petrol prices and other living costs leave households feeling glum.This rapid shift in behaviour has disappointed cafe owners and surprised economists, raising an uneasy question: if takeaway coffee sales are falling, is the economy next? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Condom prices could rise 30% due to Iran war, says world’s top producer Karex 22. April 2026 (01:52) Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as the NHS The world’s top condom producer, Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive has said.Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump officials consider sending 1,100 Afghans who aided US forces to Congo 22. April 2026 (01:26) Discussions reportedly come after Trump’s decision to stop initiative that allowed group to apply to resettle in the USThe Trump administration is in discussions to potentially send up to 1,100 Afghans who helped US forces during the war in Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a non-profit confirmed on Tuesday.The resettlement talks, first reported by the New York Times, come after Donald Trump’s decision to stop an initiative that allowed Afghans who assisted US war efforts to apply to resettle in the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump reads from Bible in Oval Office in taped message for Christian group 22. April 2026 (01:24) Reciting of Old Testament passage comes days after clash with pope and posting AI image of himself as JesusSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump read a Bible passage from the Old Testament during a Tuesday event billed as a celebration of the US’s founding, days after he clashed with Pope Leo XIV and upset some of his religious supporters by posting an AI-generated image appearing to depict himself as Jesus.The event, titled America Reads the Bible, was imagined as a “sacred opportunity to call our nation back to its spiritual foundation”, according to its website. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Black children in England and Wales almost eight times more likely to be strip-searched than white peers – report 22. April 2026 (01:01) Demographic also overrepresented when police officers use force such as handcuffs, firearms or Tasers, says children’s commissionerBlack children across England and Wales are almost eight times more likely to be strip-searched by police than their white counterparts, a report has disclosed.Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, said Black children are also overrepresented when officers use force and were more likely to have their “size, gender or build” cited as justification. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fourth man charged over alleged kidnapping murder of Sydney man Chris Baghsarian 22. April 2026 (00:33) Three other men already charged over February abduction and death remain before the courtsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA fourth man has been charged over the kidnapping and murder of an elderly Sydney man, who was allegedly abducted in a case of mistaken identity.More than two months after 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian was abducted from his home in Sydney’s north in the early hours of 13 February, police arrested a 19-year-old on Tuesday over two offences, including murder. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Florida to open criminal investigation into OpenAI over ChatGPT’s influence on alleged mass shooter 21. April 2026 (23:28) State attorney general said inquiry will look into whether AI tool offered ‘significant advice’ to campus shooting suspectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxFlorida’s top prosecutor is to launch a criminal investigation into how the tech company OpenAI and its software tool ChatGPT may influence users’ threats of harm to themselves or others, including whether it “offered significant advice” to a gunman accused of conducting a mass shooting in the state last year.State attorney general James Uthmeier said at a news conference on Tuesday that his office is expanding an examination of OpenAI, saying a “criminal investigation is necessary” and the state had issued subpoenas to the $852bn California-based tech firm. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dozens of US lawmakers have been accused of sexual harassment, study finds 21. April 2026 (22:29) Analysis finds 53 workplace harassment allegations against 30 lawmakers amid wave of resignations in CongressFifty-three allegations of workplace sexual harassment have been made against at least 30 House and Senate lawmakers over the past two decades, an advocacy group said in a study that was released Tuesday amid a spate of ethics-fueled resignations in Congress.Most of the lawmakers from 13 states and Guam who have faced allegations have since left office, but nine continue to hold seats, the nonpartisan National Women’s Defense League (NWDL) said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Olly Robbins’ account of Mandelson vetting piles pressure on Keir Starmer 21. April 2026 (22:23) Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vettingThe civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials.Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Mandelson was given access to the Foreign Office building and to “higher-classification briefings” before he was granted security clearance. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victims of sexual violence distressed by MPs’ ‘pugnacious’ questioning 21. April 2026 (21:08) Exclusive: Victims’ commissioner makes formal complaint after committee session left one attender ‘shocked, upset and extremely distressed’Victims of rape and sexual violence have told parliamentarians they felt anxious and distressed during a Westminster evidence session, with one stating that witnessing “pugnacious” questioning had resulted in her “breaking down, sobbing and struggling to breathe”.The victims’ commissioner has made a formal complaint to the chair of an influential group of MPs after a highly charged evidence session carried out by the public bill committee for the courts and tribunals bill about controversial changes to jury trials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
