Follow the latest updates live Full report: Geelong oil refinery fire Geelong oil refinery fire: what we know so far Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Fire officer says officials haven’t detected any contaminants spreading from blaze Earlier this morning, Fire Rescue Victoria assistant chief fire officer, Mick McGuinness , provided an update to ABC Radio Melbourne. Shortly before 7am, he said about 50 firefighting vehicles were continuing to fight the blaze in the Moga…

Exclusive: John Sidoti wins cheers and applause at re-election fundraiser for his successor Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A former New South Wales minister found by Icac to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct has been feted as one of the “esteemed luminaries of the Liberal party” at an election fundraiser headlined by the state opposition leader, Kellie Sloane. John Sidoti, a former Liberal minister and sta…

Journalist Will Coldwell tells the story of how a British businessman was imprisoned in Dubai – and how his family finally got him home When Albert Douglas found out he was facing a long prison sentence in Dubai, he tried to escape the UAE … and failed. What followed was years of court proceedings, time in prison and even, Douglas says, beatings and torture. In recent years, scores of business owners, unsuspecting tourists and influencers have been detained in Dubai – caught up in an opaque lega…

In a spilling of the court’s divisions in public, Sotomayor had criticized Kavanaugh over a dissenting ruling on ICE raids Sonia Sotomayor, a US supreme court justice, issued an apology on Wednesday for her recent criticism of fellow justice Brett Kavanaugh, an unusual public mea culpa that underscores the continuing divisions within the nation’s top judicial body over its direction and actions in high-profile cases. Sotomayor had criticized Kavanaugh at an event in Kansas last week for an opini…

Petrol production affected at Viva plant in Corio as mayor calls blaze ‘unprecedented’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An explosive fire at a Geelong oil refinery – which supplies half of Victoria’s fuel and 10% of the nation’s – has broken out, with petrol production to be affected for some time and authorities warning the full extent of the damage is still unknown. The blaze at the Viva Energy facility in Corio…

Senator’s fourth attempt for resolutions fails, but votes show growing appetite among Democrats to impose limits Bernie Sanders on Wednesday led a failed effort to block the sale of bombs and bulldozers to Israel, but the votes revealed a growing appetite among Democrats to impose limits on US weapons transfers to a longtime US ally. It was the fourth time Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, had forced consideration of resolutions cutting off military aid for Israel in th…

How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Track how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country. Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The federal government has released fuel reserves, cut fuel excise taxes and rolled out a national fuel security plan as Australia battles a fuel crisis. While we know there have been outages and price increases, it can be difficult to get a full picture of wha…

Company has received about £8.7bn in renewable energy subsidies since 2012, despite claims wood pellets are not sourced sustainably The owner of the Drax power plant in North Yorkshire received record subsidies of almost £1bn for burning trees to generate electricity in 2025, a climate thinktank has calculated. The company was paid £999m last year for generating about 4.5% of Great Britain’s electricity from its biomass plant, costing each household £13 a year, according to analysts at Ember. Co…

Agents detained Marie-Therese Ross in Alabama on 1 April after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to DHS The French government is pressing the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the 86-year-old French widow of a military veteran from immigration custody after she was detained earlier this month. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agents detained Marie-Therese Ross in Alabama on 1 April after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to DHS. Ross is now being h…

Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next year Rachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict. The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 companies, up from the 7,000 originally announced. Continue reading...

Lack of funding leaving police forces failing to keep pace with two-thirds annual increase in referrals, says report Child victims of online sexual abuse are being inadequately protected from further harm because police forces are struggling to cope with an increase in this crime, his majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary has warned. Michelle Skeer said: “Without investment and coordination, the situation will worsen and children could be put at further risk.” Continue reading...

Woman, 47, and man, 46, held on suspicion of arson endangering life after attempted Finchley attack A 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life after an attempted attack on a synagogue in Finchley, north London, as part of an investigation into what the Metropolitan police described as an “antisemitic hate crime”. The force said the woman was arrested at an address in Watford just after 4.45pm on Wednesday, while the man was arrested at 7.1…

Commons rejects proposal by 256 to 150 to side with government on plan to tackle online harms affecting children

MPs have rejected a proposal to ban under-16s from using social media for the second time, as the prime minister summoned tech bosses to demand tougher action on internet safety. The House of Commons sided with the government against a Lords amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill that imposed a new age limit on using social media platforms, amid pressure from parents a…

Donors exceed funding target at Berlin conference but prospects for ceasefire remain distant More than £1bn (€1.15bn) has been pledged for war-ravaged Sudan at a conference in Berlin, eclipsing the funding target organisers had set to help mitigate the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The financial commitments made on Wednesday will also help offset a chronic humanitarian funding shortfall in a country devastated by three years of conflict, where two-thirds of its population – 34m people – r…

‘Palestine’s Mandela’ suffers three recent attacks including assault where prison guards set a dog on him, lawyer says The jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti is at immediate risk in Israeli jails, where he has been attacked three times in as many weeks, including in one assault last month where prison guards set a dog on the 66-year-old, his lawyer has said. Barghouti is often called Palestine’s Nelson Mandela. He is respected across otherwise feuding Palestinian factions, has broad popu…

Lelia Doolan, who finished 220km trek at parliament gates, says use of Shannon airport violates Irish neutrality A 91-year-old peace activist has crossed Ireland on foot and arrived in Dublin to petition the government to bar US military flights. Lelia Doolan completed a two-week, 220km (138 mile) trek on Wednesday, ending at the gates of parliament accompanied by throngs of supporters. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed Meanwhile, Nato chief Mark Rutte urged members of the military alliance not to “lose sight” of the Ukraine conflict, and to boost their backing for Kyiv to $60bn in 2026, AFP reported. His comments came at the start of a meeting in Berlin of defence ministers from Ukraine’s key supporters, including Germany and Britain, with the conflict against Russia now in its fifth year. Continue reading...

Airport body has asked for power to suspend EES checks requiring personal information and biometrics Travellers going through some European airports are reportedly waiting up to three hours at border checks because of the EU’s new entry-exit system (EES) . Passengers in airports in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece are waiting several hours at border checks, the Airports Council International (ACI) body has said. Continue reading...

Lifestyle influencer died while on vacation with boyfriend, who local officials say has since had his passport ‘withheld’ Ashly Robinson, a US lifestyle influencer, died last week while on vacation in the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar with her boyfriend, Joe McCann. Robinson’s death on 9 April, just days after her birthday and a marriage proposal from McCann, has sparked suspicion on social media, with users doubtful of the current narrative surrounding her death. No arrests have been made, and …

A 15-year court battle costing millions of dollars ended in a partial defeat for the tycoon. Will she now bury the hatchet or double down and keep fighting her children and rivals? Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Gina Rinehart does not like to lose. Engaged in bitter legal battles for most of the past 35 years, Australia’s richest person has shown her propensity to fight tooth and nail to retain control of her fa…

More than 1,000 people were in shelters across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as Sinlaku moved away Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Super Typhoon Sinlaku hammered the Northern Mariana Islands, flipping over cars, toppling utility poles and ripping away tin roofs. Authorities were just beginning to assess the damage left behind by the typhoon, which first hit the islands on Tuesday night local time and continued with a barrage of fierce winds a…

Péter Magyar’s stunning victory in Hungary is a boost for liberal democracy. But don’t bank on similar upsets in upcoming European elections • Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here When future historians come to write about the stunning electoral overthrow of Viktor Orbán on 12 April 2026, let’s hope they devote at least footnotes to zebras and golden toilet brushes. The zebras were spotted by drones on the sprawling grounds of a countryside palace belonging to Orbán’s e…

More than 2,200 ants were found in Zhang Kequn’s luggage at Nairobi airport, with baggage destined for China A Chinese national has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined by a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya, a lucrative trade in east Africa that was exposed last year. The insects are mostly destined for China, the US and Europe, where they become pets and can be worth about $100 each. Continue reading...

Pyongyang making ‘very serious’ progress on producing weapons, with rapid rise in activity at main nuclear complex North Korea has made “very serious” progress in its ability to produce more nuclear weapons, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said, in another sign that the regime is seeking to use its nuclear arsenal to ensure its survival . North Korea is thought to have assembled about 50 nuclear warheads, although some experts are sceptical of its claims that it is able to miniaturise …

Struggle for justice symbolises limitations of Truth and Reconciliation Commission, whose hearings began 30 years ago Darkness had fallen on 27 June 1985 when Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkonto set off on the 150-mile drive back from a meeting of anti-apartheid activists in the South African city of Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha. They never made it home. About an hour into their journey, as the road wound north from the coast towards their home town of Cradock…

Passengers can book a four-hour session in the bunk beds from May for Auckland-New York flights but airline cautions against smuggling in children Economy passengers on Air New Zealand’s ultra-long-haul flight between Auckland and New York can book a spot in the airline’s bunk-bed style sleeping pods from May, which will take to skies in late 2026. In what the airline says is a world first, six full-length, lie-flat sleeping pods, are squeezed into the aisle of the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. T…

This live blog has now closed. You can read the latest on the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran here South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has said rising tensions around the strait of Hormuz make it hard to be optimistic about the fallout from the Iran war, warning that high oil prices and supply-chain strains are likely to persist for some time. Lee told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday the government should treat prolonged disruption in global energy and raw materials markets as a given an…

Air pollution caused by wildfires is another blow to northern Thailand’s tourism industry as businesses suffer amid war in Iran The Doi Suthep temple in northern Thailand is known for its spectacular views of Chiang Mai and the lush forested mountains that surround it. Over recent weeks, though, visitors can see little of the city beyond a thick cloud of grey haze. Persistent wildfires have caused intense air pollution across the north of Thailand, forcing three provinces to declare emergencies …

Byelection wins and defections push Canada’s Liberals into majority government under the prime minister Mark Carney has said he will govern with “humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands” after his Liberals swept three byelections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power. Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades – and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both …

Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker fell overboard and that strong currents carried her away Police in the Bahamas have released without charges a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island country, authorities said on Monday. Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since 8 April – five days – after being questioned by authorities. Continue reading...

Carney’s Liberals will now be able to pass legislation without the support of opposition parties – and govern until 2029 The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has secured a parliamentary majority for his Liberal government, CBC News reported. The victory will help him push through a legislative agenda he says is needed for an increasingly divided geopolitical world. Three byelections were held on Monday in Ontario and Quebec, with two in districts – known as ridings – that have long voted Li…

Brian Hooker says wife Lynette fell overboard from dinghy but family members have cast doubt on that account Police in the Bahamas on Monday were set to again interview a US man who said his wife fell overboard from their boat. In a statement on Sunday to the Guardian, Brian Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, said: “The police have requested another interview with [Brian Hooker] tomorrow.” Continue reading...

Two-time Grammy nominee was one of Bollywood’s most versatile and celebrated voices The Indian singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Bollywood cinema and whose career spanned almost eight decades, has died in Mumbai at the age of 92. Bhosle, who recorded more than 12,000 songs, became her country’s pre-eminent exponent of playback singing – recording tracks that were then lip-synced on film by actors. She also boldly embraced cabaret and western-influenced melodies to forge a distinctive music…

In Pakistan’s capital, the army has been deployed, a public holiday has been declared and the streets are eerily empty Middle East crisis – live updates The streets of Islamabad were on strict lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepared to play host to historic negotiations between Iran and the US that have dangled the promise of an end to war that has devastated the Middle East. Even as the US-Iran ceasefire looked increasingly precarious , amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon and dispute…

Analysts say Pakistani officials’ efforts led to breakthrough that has helped avert catastrophe, at least for now Middle East crisis – live updates Pakistan’s leaders had almost lost hope. After more than two weeks of frantic negotiations, phonecalls and diplomatic summits to try to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, it looked like the conflict might instead be escalating into Islamabad’s worst nightmare . In a cabinet meeting held at about 5pm on Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Shari…