Top World News

Jun 26, 2026 - World

Apple Macbook 13-inch prices jumps from $1,799 to $2,099 while the cost of iPads surges by 25%Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians woke up on Friday to more expensive Macbooks and iPads after Apple hiked prices worldwide, blaming an AI-driven cost-crunch for computer parts.The iPhone range was unaffected but experts predict Apple will raise prices for its flagship product later this year. Microsoft also lifted its Xbox prices overnight amid a wave of increases for phones and devices. Continue reading...

Jun 26, 2026 - World

Conservationists emphasise importance of protecting nesting sites used by ‘strongly faithful’ red-listed speciesMigratory swifts loyally return every year to their nests in buildings, according to a study, underlining the importance of providing the endangered birds with hollow nesting bricks if traditional nest sites are lost to renovations.The swift, which is on the red list of conservation concern, is one of Britain’s most threatened species, having declined in number by 70% since 1995 because of the loss of nesting sites, often when old buildings are re-roofed or given better insulation. While Scotland this year made the installation of swift bricks – a simple hollow brick – a legal requirement in new buildings, the government in England has repeatedly refused to oblige builders to include a £35 swift brick in every new home. Continue reading...

Jun 26, 2026 - World

Plans by Wolfgang Porsche to bore private 500-metre road link through Austrian hill caused anger among localsWolfgang Porsche, the Austrian-German automotive magnate, appears to have abandoned plans to build a private 500-metre tunnel for his cars through the Salzburg hills after a public uproar over the “tunnel for one”.In 2020, Porsche bought a storied 17th-century villa on the outskirts of Salzburg for €8.4m (£7.2m), and last autumn he secured permission from the city authorities for an estimated €10m private access road through the rugged limestone hill. Continue reading...

Jun 26, 2026 - World

High temperatures make some workplaces dangerous, with economists warning disruption will dent growthMonique Mosley is used to sweltering conditions at the food factory in Yorkshire where she works, but June’s record-breaking heatwave has made conditions unbearable. “We make hot filled food products and it’s common that we see temperatures in the high 30s,” she said. “Thanks to our union, our employer is offering extra breaks, but not every workplace is the same.”The latest heatwave to grip the UK and much of western Europe has presented significant challenges to employers and their employees, from sweltering offices, disrupted commutes and school closures to dangerous construction sites where workers are at risk of dehydration, heatstroke and other injury. Continue reading...

Jun 26, 2026 - World

Gwent police say accused will face court in Newport following arrest over discovery of teenage girl’s body in Duffryn Park area of BlainaA 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder after the discovery of a missing 14-year-old girl’s body, Gwent police said.The boy, from the Blaenau Gwent area, was arrested after the discovery of the body in the Duffryn Park area of Blaina in Wales on 22 June. Continue reading...