Australia news: Waratah battery fault; household confidence rises

Australia’s biggest battery project hits a snag during testing The Waratah Super Battery, the biggest battery on Australia’s energy grid and one of the largest battery energy storage system in the world, has had a temporary loss in capacity due to a recent transformer outage. The energy project is run by Akaysha Energy and sits

Victoria urged to boost public transport and cut off-peak fares

The Victorian government should ramp up train services in Melbourne’s north and west, extend eight tram routes and create six new express bus services within the next five years, the state’s independent infrastructure adviser has recommended. Infrastructure Victoria’s 30-year plan also calls for off-peak public transport to be made cheaper and for collaboration with the

Ley risks losing MPs as net zero debate divides Liberals

Sussan Ley has already been required to reshuffle her shadow ministry twice in her six short months as Liberal party leader. The first was to replace Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, whose refusal to apologise for incorrect and offensive claims about Indian migrants, or back Ley’s leadership, made her frontbench position untenable. The second was to deal

NSW landlords face jail over tenants’ illicit tobacco sales

Landlords who knowingly allow their tenants to sell illicit tobacco and illegal vapes could be fined up to $165,000, sentenced to up to a year in prison or both, under legislation planned by the New South Wales government. The changes, expected to be introduced to state parliament this week, would create an offence for commercial

Second deportee under ‘one in, one out’ returns to UK

A second person who was removed to France under the government’s “one in, one out” deal has returned to the UK, the Home Office has confirmed. The unnamed man arrived back in the UK after joining nearly 400 people who crossed the Channel in small boats on Sunday. The Home Office said the person, whose

Turkey arrests eight, suspends 1,024 players in betting probe

Turkish authorities formally arrested eight people, including a top-tier club chairman, on Monday as part of an investigation into alleged betting on football matches. The Turkish football federation (TFF) has also suspended 1,024 players pending disciplinary investigations. The TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees earlier this month, after an investigation found officials working in

Sarkozy vows to ‘prove his innocence’ after prison release

Nicolas Sarkozy has said he wants to “prove his innocence” after being released from prison while he appeals against his conviction for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain election campaign funds from Libya. After 20 days in jail that he had earlier described as “gruelling” and a “nightmare”, the former French president was driven

Ukraine’s energy sector faces wide-scale investigation over ‘kickback’ allegations

Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau said on Monday that it was conducting a large-scale investigation into the country’s energy sector, alleging kickbacks in transactions involving the state nuclear power operator, Energoatom. The bureau, which operates independently of the government, alleged that several senior figures were involved. Ukrainian media identified one of them as Timur Mindich, a businessman

Sarkozy freed pending appeal under judicial supervision

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is released from prison - story Angelique Chrisafis in Paris Nicolas Sarkozy has said he wants to “prove his innocence” after being released from prison while he appeals against his conviction for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain election campaign funds from Libya. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arriving

US declares partial suspension of sanctions on Syria after historic meeting

The US has announced a partial suspension of sanctions on Syria after a historic meeting in Washington DC between its new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Donald Trump. Monday’s meeting was the first summit between a US and Syrian leader at the White House since 1946. The meeting is part of a remarkable turnaround in US-Syrian
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