Rebel Wilson rejects ‘absolutely outrageous’ phone-dumping accusation as defamation trial continues 29. April 2026 (05:55) The Pitch Perfect actor is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor of Wilson’s directorial debut, The DebHollywood star Rebel Wilson has rejected an “absolutely outrageous” accusation that she dumped her phone to avoid handing over key communications in a defamation case.The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the 27-year-old lead actor of the musical comedy The Deb. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inflation jumps to 4.6% in Australia as Iran war fuel shock begins to bite 29. April 2026 (04:32) Financial markets are betting the Reserve Bank will hike interest rates for a third straight meeting next TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInflation jumped to 4.6% in the year to March, from 3.7% the month before, in what the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, warned was the start of an Iran war-linked fuel shock that will ripple through the economy over coming months.With consumer prices now growing at their fastest pace in two-and-a-half years, financial markets are betting the Reserve Bank will hike interest rates for a third straight meeting next Tuesday as officials struggle to manage the nightmare scenario of containing inflation even as growth is expected to slow sharply. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anthony Albanese rules out gas export tax on existing contracts and criticises ‘populist’ campaign 29. April 2026 (04:00) Prime minister says the middle of a global fuel crisis is ‘the worst possible time to jeopardise’ Australia’s partnerships with Asian trading partnersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has confirmed next month’s federal budget will not include a new tax on existing gas export contracts as he criticised the “populist” campaign calling for a levy on producers.As reported last week, Albanese was poised to reject pressure to introduce a 25% tax on gas exports amid concerns the intervention could alienate the same Asian trading partners Australia is relying on for supplies of diesel and petrol. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A whole new world: Disneyland adds facial recognition to some entrance lanes 29. April 2026 (03:44) Walt Disney Company says technology at California theme park will prevent fraud and streamline re-entryDisneyland, the beloved California adventure park, has outfitted some entrance lanes with facial recognition technology, a move its parent company says will prevent fraud and streamline re-entry.At certain entrance lanes, a camera will capture images of visitors, which can be converted via biometric technology into unique numerical values, according to the Walt Disney Company’s website. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teaching in classes grouped by ability does not hamper progress of less able pupils, study finds 29. April 2026 (01:01) Research on maths teaching in English secondary schools upends decades of debate over mixed-ability educationTeaching pupils in classes grouped by ability improves the results of high-flyers but does not affect the progress of less able children, according to a study that upends decades of debate over mixed-ability education.The research by University College London’s Institute of Education found that secondary school pupils in England with previously strong maths performances made slower progress in mixed-attainment classes than when they were taught alongside children with similarly high ability. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK faces £35bn hit and risk of recession this year over impact of Iran war, thinktank warns 29. April 2026 (01:01) Niesr says even under best-case scenario, economy would grow at slower pace in 2026 and 2027 because of conflictBritain is facing a £35bn economic hit and the risk of a recession this year as the fallout from the Iran war adds to the pressure on Keir Starmer’s government, a leading thinktank has warned.The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said that even under a best-case scenario the UK economy would grow at a much slower pace this year and next because of the Middle East conflict. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Deaths projected to outnumber births in UK every year from 2026 29. April 2026 (00:42) Latest ONS figures also suggest lower population growth in coming decades than previously expectedDeaths are projected to outnumber births in the UK every year from 2026 and the population is expected to grow at a slower rate over the next few decades than previously reported, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).About 1.7 million people are projected to join the population between 2024 and 2034, pushing the total up 2.5% from 69.3 million to 71 million, before it starts to decrease in the mid-2050s. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
News live: King Charles praises ‘ambitious’ Aukus and expresses pride in Australia in speech to US Congress 28. April 2026 (23:52) Nuclear submarine mentioned in part of king’s speech that emphasised defence ties. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian journalism ‘critical to our democracy’, assistant treasurer saysDaniel Mulino, the assistant treasurer, said journalism is “critical to our democracy”, adding the effort to get tech companies to pay for Australian reporting was meant to combat the internet “undermining” the way news companies traditionally made money.We know that journalists tell Australian stories. They inform us about what’s going on in our community and the broader world, but also public interest journalism in particular. Independent, high-quality public interest journalism is critical to our democracy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump administration blocks US wind energy projects in switch to oil and gas 28. April 2026 (23:37) US representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin earlier this month called agreements outrageous and unlawfulSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Trump administration blocked two permitted US wind energy projects from development this week, with an agreement to pay millions of dollars in refunds to the companies behind them if those funds are reinvested in oil and gas.US Department of the Interior officials framed the canceled agreements as a way to “promote US energy security and affordability” by funneling funds “away from intermittent, higher-cost energy sources toward proven conventional solutions”, in an announcement issued on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man arrested in ‘one of most heinous, notorious cold cases’ more than 30 years after mother’s murder 28. April 2026 (23:35) James Lawhead was arrested after forensic DNA analysis lead in decades-old killing of Cindy WannerSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA 64-year-old man was arrested last week in connection to a decades-old murder investigation that had long haunted the affluent suburb of Sacramento where it occurred.On 25 November 1991, Cindy Wanner, 35, vanished from her sister’s home in Granite Bay, California. Her husband arrived to the residence with their four-year-old daughter and found their 11-month-old baby alone, wailing and strapped to a high chair. Three weeks later, Wanner’s body was discovered 40 miles away in a secluded wooded area. She had died from strangulation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
