Category C and women’s prisons could be upgraded to ease overcrowding 13. August 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: Ministers explore diverting male prisoners serving short terms or on remand away from tougher jailsMinisters are examining a possible upgrade of security at men’s category C and women’s prisons to deal with an overcrowding crisis across the England and Wales estate, the Guardian understands.Officials have explored diverting prisoners on remand or serving short sentences away from category B “reception” prisons such as HMPs Liverpool, Manchester and Pentonville in north London. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s largest aluminium smelter to run on renewables by 2033 after Rio Tinto strikes $2.5bn taxpayer bailout deal 13. August 2026 (07:00) Rio Tinto makes power supply deal with federal and NSW government to cut emissions and decarbonise, preventing potential closureFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastResources giant Rio Tinto says Australia’s largest aluminium smelter will run entirely on renewable energy by 2033 after it struck a $2.5bn subsidy deal with the federal and New South Wales governments to prevent a potential closure.The deal – announced by Anthony Albanese and the NSW premier, Chris Minns, at the Tomago smelter near Newcastle on Thursday – is for a 10-year below-market power supply guarantee that begins after the facility’s existing coal-focused electricity contract with AGL ends in December 2028. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Zambia elections haunted by ghost of incumbent president’s arch-rival 13. August 2026 (06:00) Hakainde Hichilema is bidding for second term, but feud between him and family of Edgar Lungu, who died in 2025, continuesAs Zambians go to the polls, the ghost of the current president’s predecessor hangs over the elections.Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is bidding for a second term leading the southern African country after defeating his arch-rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide in 2021. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
India fuels worldwide jump in planned coal production 13. August 2026 (06:00) Rise in new mine proposals, mainly in states of Odisha and Jharkhand, comes despite plateau in global demandEnough new coalmining projects were proposed last year to increase global supplies by 2.5bn tonnes a year, an increase of 11% from the year before, even as demand for coal plateaus, according to a new report.Global Energy Monitor, an NGO, found that India ignited a rise in new coalmine proposals in 2025 despite a global slowdown in the number of mine openings because of falling demand for the fossil fuel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victims of road crime feel ‘forgotten by system’, official review finds 13. August 2026 (06:00) Many of those affected in England and Wales think offences are not treated with the seriousness they deserve, says commissionerBereaved families or seriously injured victims of road crime feel “forgotten by the system” with offences not treated with the seriousness they deserve, an official review has found.The victims’ commissioner for England and Wales found that many of the thousands afflicted each year by criminal driving felt that “the harm they had suffered mattered less” than that from other serious crimes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ibac charges police officer accused of repeatedly hitting Indigenous man with Taser during Melbourne arrest 13. August 2026 (04:40) Victorian corruption watchdog alleges weapon was used to hit man’s head, with another officer accused of kneeing him in same incident last yearTwo Victorian police officers have been charged with assault after allegedly using a Taser and knee to repeatedly strike a man in the head during an arrest last year.But the officers remain on duty, police have confirmed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Telstra CEO gets $700,000 pay rise to $6.8m despite Australia-wide outage 13. August 2026 (04:16) Telco board cuts senior executive bonuses by total $1.3m after tech fail that affected millionsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTelstra has paid its chief executive, Vicki Brady, $6.8m for the year ending in June, after docking 20% of her bonus in response to the network’s nationwide outage in July.The company reported financial results on Thursday. Its board met on Monday and decided to cut Brady’s bonus by $607,000 – but she still took home a $700,000 pay rise as she was awarded a total of $6.1m the year before. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Surrogate mother who fled to Texas gives birth to baby with severe heart defect 13. August 2026 (04:12) McKenna West initially agreed to an abortion after diagnosis, but then fled to state where abortion is illegal and broke contact with biological parents, attorney allegesA surrogate mother who traveled to Texas, where abortion is illegal, claiming she was pressured to end the pregnancy after the discovery of a severe heart defect, gave birth on Wednesday to a baby boy.The child’s biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, confirmed the birth through their lawyer, while denying they forced McKenna West, who is from Alaska, to undergo an abortion, the Texas Tribune reported. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reformers were ‘spectacularly unsuccessful’ in taking over NSW Liberals, Catholic schools boss says 13. August 2026 (04:08) Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney tells Icac corruption inquiry that Christain factional group driven by ‘a calling … a duty’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA factional ally of the federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, has told a corruption inquiry that a group of Christian Liberal power brokers who allegedly solicited illegal political donations were “spectacularly unsuccessful in their ambitions”.The Catholic Schools NSW chief executive, Dallas McInerney, told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Thursday that the Reformers’ model was never correct. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
David McBride leaves prison on parole after being jailed for leaking Afghanistan war documents 13. August 2026 (03:08) Attorney general grants former army lawyer’s release after 27 months in jail Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDavid McBride, the former army lawyer jailed for his role in stealing secret defence documents about the Afghanistan war and leaking them to the media, has been released from prison in Canberra on Thursday.McBride was sentenced to a maximum five years and eight months in jail in May 2024, but is being released on parole after serving his full non-parole period of 27 months. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
