Price rises gather pace in UK shops amid higher energy costs
The Guardian

Price rises gather pace in UK shops amid higher energy costs

In-store inflation rises to an annual 1.5% in August, according to a survey for the British Retail ConsortiumThe pace of price rises in UK shops rose to its highest level in two years in August, a trade body index shows, with higher energy costs pushing up the price of food and AI chip demand making technology more expensive.In-store inflation stepped up to 1.5% year on year in August, up from 0.9...

Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny
The Guardian

Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny

Exclusive: 7,280 suspected illegal spills in rivers and sea recorded in first five months of 2026The number of suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into rivers and seas by water companies during dry weather increased significantly during the first five months of 2026.Dumping raw sewage into waterways during dry spells via overflows amounts to pollution. It is considered a breach of the permi...

Burnham warned running prison capacity near limit is ‘big risk’

Burnham warned running prison capacity near limit is ‘big risk’

The Guardian

U-turn on early release scheme will create ‘stresses and strains’ on prison system, says former justice secretaryAndy Burnham is taking a “big risk” by seeking to continue running prison capacity to the limit, according to the former justice secretary appointed by Keir Starmer to oversee a review of sentencing.As parliament resumes on Tuesday, the government will confirm its U-turn on its early re...

Asian healthcare deals heat up as investors bet big on brain tech and surgical robotics

Asian healthcare deals heat up as investors bet big on brain tech and surgical robotics

SCMP

Private investors in Asia, including family offices operating in Hong Kong, are showing a growing appetite for advanced medical technologies such as brain-computer interfaces and surgical robotics, as healthcare deal activity picks up across the region amid China’s biotechnology boom. “Asia is ageing, so there’s a structural, long-term demand for better surgery and medicine,” said William Chow, de...

A man bought 51,000 acres of degraded land in Florida; decades later, it is the largest private restoration project east of the Mississippi

A man bought 51,000 acres of degraded land in Florida; decades later, it is the largest private restoration project east of the Mississippi

Times of India

Advocating for biodiversity, E.O. Wilson suggests that dedicating half of Earth to nature is crucial for preventing a sixth mass extinction. In conjunction, M.C. Davis has embarked on an ambitious project to restore the longleaf pine ecosystem in the Southeastern U.S., investing extensively in native species reintroduction and tree planting. His Nokuse Plantation represents a major step toward pre...

Brazil’s humpback whales make stunning comeback; population surges from just 2,000 to nearly 35,000

Brazil’s humpback whales make stunning comeback; population surges from just 2,000 to nearly 35,000

Times of India

Brazil’s humpback whale population has recovered from about 2,000 to nearly 35,000 after commercial whaling pushed the species close to extinction. Protection measures and a global whaling ban helped the whales return to Brazil’s waters. Scientists are now studying their migration, family links and behaviour, while tracking threats from fishing nets, ships and warming seas.

‘Unshirkable responsibility’: tax chief apologises for e-filing failures

‘Unshirkable responsibility’: tax chief apologises for e-filing failures

SCMP

Hong Kong’s tax chief has apologised after the ombudsman found that unclear wording in the eTAX system led to more than 33,000 people leaving their returns incomplete, triggering penalty notices for almost 5,200 taxpayers and the prosecution of two. “Some taxpayers were unable to complete the submission of their tax returns; we apologise for the inconvenience caused to them,” Commissioner of Inlan...

‘Unshirkable responsibility’: IRD chief apologises for eTAX filing failures

‘Unshirkable responsibility’: IRD chief apologises for eTAX filing failures

SCMP

Hong Kong’s tax chief has apologised after the ombudsman found that unclear wording in the eTAX system led more than 33,000 people to leave their returns incomplete, triggering penalty notices for nearly 5,200 taxpayers and prosecutions of two. “Some taxpayers were unable to complete the submission of their tax returns; we apologise for the inconvenience caused to them,” Commissioner of Inland Rev...

Ex-official among 33,019 who failed to complete eTAX filings amid unclear wording

Ex-official among 33,019 who failed to complete eTAX filings amid unclear wording

SCMP

More than 33,000 people failed to submit completed tax returns because of unclear wording in Hong Kong’s eTAX system, the ombudsman has found, with nearly 5,200 receiving penalty notices and two prosecuted. Dr Luk Che-chung, a former chief executive of the Hospital Authority’s Hong Kong East area, was among the affected taxpayers and urged the government on Tuesday to learn from the incident. In a...

Australia news live: PM shuts down questions of China ‘bullying’ on eve of Pacific forum; Victorian police officer charged after allegedly hitting teen with baton

Australia news live: PM shuts down questions of China ‘bullying’ on eve of Pacific forum; Victorian police officer charged after allegedly hitting teen with baton

The Guardian

Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast43 Australians still missing, with concerns growing ‘every day, every hour’ that goes by, Wong saysThe foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says there are still 43 Australian missing after the flooding in Nepal, saying the government holds grave concerns for their safety that only gets worse as the days go by.This is su...

Couple who survived Tai Po fire await trial for fraud, cannot leave Hong Kong

Couple who survived Tai Po fire await trial for fraud, cannot leave Hong Kong

SCMP

A couple who survived the deadly Tai Po blaze last year have been barred from leaving Hong Kong pending trial for allegedly obtaining more than HK$330,000 (US$42,000) in government-guaranteed loans by overstating the decline in revenue of their decoration business. Former Wang Fuk Court residents Jason Kong Cheung-fat, 65, and Rosanna Cheung Yeuk-lan, 62, appeared in Sha Tin Court on Tuesday to fa...

South Korea sets record US$600 billion budget, backed by chip windfall

South Korea sets record US$600 billion budget, backed by chip windfall

SCMP

South Korea on Tuesday unveiled its most aggressive financial spending plan on record, setting total government expenditure for 2027 at 821 trillion won (US$600 billion) to strengthen the country’s technological edge amid the global AI race. In its annual budget proposal, the budget ministry said the spending plan ‌represented a 12.8 per cent rise from 2026, marking the largest year-on-year increa...