Corporate regulator cracks down on sale of binary options and contracts for difference in major move in financial sectorThe corporate regulator says it will ban or restrict the sale of two exotic investment products that cost customers almost $2bn a year.Using new product intervention powers gained in April, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission wants to ban the sale of binary options to ordinary Australians for 18 months – the maximum period allowed under the law. Continue reading...

Former Nationals leader was an internationalist who forged closer relationships with Asia and spoke out against Pauline HansonWhen Tim Fischer, who has died aged 73, announced just after question time on 30 June 1999 that he was quitting as the deputy prime minister of Australia to be more present in the lives of his two young sons, the reaction was unusually sentimental.Sustained applause broke out in the House at the conclusion of Fischer’s farewell, and the standing ovation extended for more than a minute. Journalists also stood in the gallery above the bear pit and applauded as a mark of respect, and possibly contrition, given his rise to the Nationals leadership had been treated derisively by many commentators. During his farewell at the dispatch box, Fischer had cocked an eyebrow at the correspondents and observed: “To the media I would say this. It was about 12 months ago that you stopped calling me idiosyncratic. I knew then it was time to start thinking about getting out of politics.” Continue reading...

Mother pays tribute to Lucas Briscoe, 12, who fell on last day of stay in Costa del Sol resortA 12-year-old British boy who died after falling from the balcony of a Spanish apartment block has been named as Lucas Briscoe.The schoolboy, from Lostock Gralam in Cheshire, was on holiday with his mother Nicola Marshall and a friend in the Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola when he fell on Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading...

First venture to the ship in 15 years finds that features have decayed completelyThe first dive to the Titanic in nearly 15 years has revealed “shocking” deterioration in the state of the wreck.An international team of explorers made five dives with manned submersibles in early August to survey and photograph the ship, which lies at a depth of 3,800 metres in the North Atlantic. The once opulent vessel is rapidly being destroyed by metal-eating bacteria, salt corrosion and deep ocean currents. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen6.54pm BSTHere are the main points from the press conference.If one is able to solve this conundrum, if one finds this solution, we said we would probably find it in the next two years to come but we can also maybe find it in the next 30 days to come. Then we are one step further in the right direction and we have to obviously put our all into this.You [Merkel] rightly say the onus is on us to produce those solutions, those ideas, to show how we can address the issue of the Northern Irish border and that is what we want to do. I must say I am very glad listening to you tonight Angela to hear that at least the conversations that matter can now properly begin. You have set a very blistering timetable of 30 days - if I understood you correctly, I am more than happy with that.I think what we need to do is remove it whole and entire - the backstop - and then work, as Chancellor Merkel says, on the alternative arrangements.There are abundant solutions which are proffered, which have already been discussed. I don’t think, to be fair, they have so far been very actively proposed over the last three years by the British government.We do think there are alternative arrangements that could readily be used to address the problem of frictionless trade at the Northern Irish border and you’ll have heard them before, whether it is trusted trader schemes or electronic pre-clearing, all that type of solution and more besides is what we will be wanting to discuss.Remember the EU did not think the Alternative Arrangements Commission work was a basis for replacing the backstop. So we haven't really gone any further forward. And remember the lack of trust in the UK Government from all sides... https://t.co/T6goriYfOfI have, in my life, watched a lot of European negotiations and, believe me, it looks at first as though it is, you know, irresistible force and immovable object.What in my experience happens is that people find a way through and I think that if we approach this with sufficient patience and optimism, as I say, we can get this done and it is in the final furlong generally when the horses change places and the winning deal appears.Oh for goodness sake we're back to the EU blink at the last minute rubbish... yes for internal negotiation, but Brexit is not an internal negotiation. And they don't on external negotiation (from Guardian politics live). pic.twitter.com/2XV0QTf2RZI am aware of the moves to reintegrate Russia into the G7 ... I just have to say that given what happened in Salisbury in Wiltshire, given the use of chemical weapons on British soil, given the continuing instability, civil war, the war in Ukraine, given Russia’s provocations, not just in Ukraine but in many other places, I must say I am very much with Chancellor Merkel in thinking that the case has yet to be made out for Russia to return to the G7.As the situation is today I would say there is not yet sufficient progress for saying the reasons we had in 2014 [for excluding Russia] are obsolete.6.33pm BSTHere is Jeremy Cliffe, the Economist’s Brussels bureau chief, and former Berlin correspondent, on the Merkel/Johnson press conference.The Westminster lobby doesn't speak German, doesn't understand German politics and is endlessly willing to read things into Angela Merkel's statements that she doesn't mean.

Buckinghamshire villagers say project has already caused irreversible damage

The Brazilian president has said NGOs could be burning down the Amazon rainforest to embarrass his government after he cut their funding. Bolsonaro had no evidence but said 'everything indicates' that NGOs are going to the Amazon to set fire to the forest

Every day the mounting horrors are broadcast in real time, but it feels like nobody is watching any moreThis is often how the news comes in: “Regime airstrikes on Tuesday killed nine civilians in rebel-held northwest Syria, the target of months of regime and Russian bombardment, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.” Working for an international news channel, we follow up these stories with our sources on the ground, the local monitoring group or news agency. Where possible we go to verify for ourselves. Usually, though, I’m miles away on the other side of the border in Hatay, Turkey. Safe.Related: Rebels withdraw from key Syrian town as pro-Assad troops advance Continue reading...

Poles apart for decades, the similarities are now uncanny as populist governments produce ever more extreme policiesFor most of the time since 1945, the politics and government of Britain and Italy have seemed like polar opposites. True, both were important European powers. True too, each had a place among the world’s major economies. Even now, Britain and Italy will be among the select group of economically powerful nations whose leaders will gather in the Second Empire splendour of Biarritz’s Hotel du Palais this weekend for the latest G7 summit.Related: Italy's Matteo Salvini calls for fresh elections as coalition fractures Continue reading...

Claim that drone strike caused blast near Baghdad follows leaked findings of Iraqi inquiryAn Iranian-backed militia in Iraq has accused the US and Israel of involvement in an alleged drone strike on a munitions warehouse near Baghdad last week, the latest in a series of mystery explosions at similar bases.The claim came after the findings of an Iraqi government inquiry into the huge blast at the facility of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) were leaked. Continue reading...

US president attacks comments as ‘nasty’ after calling off trip because Greenland not for saleThe Danish prime minister has said she is surprised and disappointed that Donald Trump has called off his planned visit to the country over Copenhagen’s refusal to sell Greenland to the US.At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Mette Frederiksen reaffirmed that Greenland was not for sale. “A discussion about a potential sale of Greenland has been put forward. It has been rejected by Greenland premier Kim Kielsen, and I fully stand behind that rejection,” she said. Continue reading...

Hundreds helped search for six-year-old after he fell into the river Stour in Kent on SaturdayA body found in a river has been confirmed as that of missing six-year-old Lucas Dobson, police have said. Lucas went missing on Saturday afternoon after he fell into the river Stour in Kentwhile on a family fishing trip.A body was found on Wednesday morning, and the family were informed. Continue reading...

Ex-PM Matteo Renzi’s plan may stave off elections that could lead to fully far-right governmentThe leader of Italy’s centre-left Democratic party (PD) has warmed to a potential alliance with its long-time rival, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), in an attempt to stave off snap elections that threaten to create western Europe’s first fully far-right government since the second world war.Nicola Zingaretti, who was elected PD party leader in March, relented to the prospect of forming a government with M5S on condition it lasts until the end of the legislature in 2023. “A possible new government must be a turning point, lasting the term, or it is better to go to the polls,” he said after a meeting with PD members on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

London protests were disruptive but made rational case, officer tells court where three activists are on trial

Police say they caught him filming on Metro after allegedly uploading videos for a year

Jed Foster, 20, appears via video link at court in Reading charged with murder and theftA man accused of murdering a police officer who was investigating a burglary faces trial in January in front of a high court judge.PC Andrew Harper, 28, a Thames Valley police officer, was killed last Thursday evening near Sulhamstead in Berkshire. Continue reading...

Guilty verdict upheld against senior Vatican official … Venezuela’s President Maduro admits secret talks with US … and, hung up on your phone?Good morning – I’m Warren Murray bringing you the news at the start of Wednesday. Continue reading...

With its dancers, devils and elaborate handmade costumes, mas – short for masquerade – is carnival’s oldest tradition. We meet the women keeping it aliveIn a workroom in the Yaa Centre in west London, surrounded by bolts of fabric and sewing machines, Allyson Williams is reminiscing about her first mas camp. For the uninitiated, mas camps are where carnival bands gather to make their costumes by hand. Now 72, the former midwife – she was awarded an MBE for her services in 2002 – smiles broadly at the memory. “It was wonderful. I thought, oh my God! This is like home.”For the Williamses, mas is a family business. It started with Allyson’s husband, Vernon, who came to London in 1956. As a Trinidadian, like Allyson, carnival was in his blood. After meeting his wife-to-be in 1975, Vernon wasted no time in introducing her to Notting Hill Carnival, which he had co-founded in 1966. Continue reading...

The 78-year-old’s legal team say they are considering taking appeal to high court after the supreme court dismissed the appeal of his child sexual assault conviction by a majority of two to one4.42am BSTFurther to Scott Morrison’s comments earlier, the governor general has just released a statement indicating that a decision on whether to strip Pell of his Order of Australia medal won’t be made until “all legal proceedings have run their course”.That is, the governor general, David Hurley, will wait and see whether there is a high court appeal.The Governor General has clarified that cancellation of George Pell's Order of Australia would come "once all legal proceedings have run their course" - ie would wait for High Court appeal... #auspol #auslaw #Pell #GeorgePell pic.twitter.com/NEy1CnGsl44.19am BSTMelissa Davey has published her excellent piece from inside the courtroom today.“Cardinal George Pell cut a dishevelled figure as he stepped into Melbourne’s supreme court and took his seat in the dock, flanked by two police officers,” she begins.Related: Victim advocates cheer as Pell appeal rejected: 'Hallelujah – proof there is a God' Continue reading...

A dishevelled Cardinal George Pell momentarily bowed his head but his face gave little away as his appeal was dismissed

Eating or drinking full-fat dairy products won’t increase healthy people’s risk of heart disease or stroke, the Heart Foundation has declaredHealthy Australians can indulge in the joy of full-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt without increasing their risk of heart disease or stroke, according to new advice from the Heart Foundation.But they should limit how much red meat they eat to about three meals a week if they want to keep their heart in good shape. Continue reading...

Dossier by Cage attacks ‘suspicionless stops’ under anti-terror laws and highlights minuscule rate of convictionsMuslims are being detained at ports and airports for up to six hours by law enforcement using controversial counter-terrorism powers so disproportionately that the practice has become Islamophobic, according to human rights group Cage.The organisation added there is growing anecdotal evidence that Muslim women are being forced to remove their headscarves when stopped, even though the rate that such stops lead to a conviction is 0.007%, according to Cage’s analysis of 420,000 incidences. Continue reading...

Far-right president faced possible roadblock in senate after report pointed to nepotismBrazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has signalled he may abandon controversial plans to make his son ambassador to the United States, amid a fierce political backlash and growing signs Congress may block the move.“I’m not going to subject my son to failure,” Bolsonaro told reporters on Tuesday in what was the first public hint he may be reconsidering his nomination. Continue reading...

Julien Gauthier, 44, was on an expedition recording sounds of nature for his musicA French artist who used sounds of nature in his music has been killed by a bear in Canada.Friends said Julien Gauthier, 44, was the victim of an attack after a bear entered a camp near the village of Tulita, in the Northwest Territories, in the early hours of Thursday last week. The police have not yet publicly identified the victim. Continue reading...

From the greengrocer’s to the local gift shop, residents brace for the prospect of crashing out of the EU without a deal“You see the melons over there?” said Ali Ahmed, pointing across his extensive display of fruit and vegetables at his greengrocer’s in Stevenage town centre. “They come from Spain. Most of the apples come from Poland. The tomatoes are from Holland.”Ahmed, who has been running Star Groceries for about five years, gets most of his fresh produce from New Spitalfields market. “We’ve spoken to the wholesaler and [if there is a no-deal Brexit] they say it’s going to be very, very, very hard. But we have no idea what’s going to happen. I don’t know what I can do. You can’t stock up on fresh fruit and veg, so I’m just hoping they get a deal. Continue reading...

About 200 grand bungalows in Lutyens zone are still occupied by former MPsThey will not have their belongings thrown out on to the road – not yet – but Indian former MPs who lost their seats at the last election have been told that if they fail to vacate their official bungalows within a week, the gas, electricity and water will be cut off.About 200 grand bungalows in the heart of Delhi, part of an area built as the capital of the British Raj, are still occupied by ex-MPs who should have left the residences within a month of the last parliament being dissolved on 25 May. Continue reading...

Jed Foster remanded in custody until crown court hearing over death of police officer

There is pushback from the beverages industry to the proposal to show how many teaspoons of sugar there are in sweetened drinksPictures showing how many teaspoons of sugar there are in sweetened drinks could be made compulsory under a proposal health ministers have earmarked for further investigation.The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation last week ordered a review into the proposal, which has been welcomed by public health experts and parents’ groups but has already received pushback from the beverages industry. Continue reading...

Thabiso Sekgala’s solo show features work taken by the late South African photographer offering nuanced, alternative narratives about life in contemporary Africa. His work focused on the idea of home and the personal, political or economic conditions that determine our relationship to it. Continue reading...

Short messages campaign for information on loved ones held in Xinjiang campsUighurs are sending out messages on social media video app Tiktok showing family members who have gone missing, in their latest attempt to raise awareness about the estimated 1 million Uighurs who have been detained in camps that have sprung up across China’s Xinjiang region.The videos, many of which are over eery music, show images of missing people, with a photograph or video of the person posting the clip superimposed over the top. Many of those posting the videos are crying. Continue reading...

Joko Widodo tells residents it’s ‘better to be forgiving’ after anger over mass arrests of Papuan students in SurabayaThe Indonesian president has called for calm after days of violent protests against and by ethnic West Papuans.President Joko Widodo urged people to forgive each other “as fellow countrymen” instead of getting angry, while pledging to look after the “honour and welfare of all people in Papua and West Papua”. Continue reading...

Acting opposition leader Richard Marles says Australia should not let China fears dictate Pacific policyLabor has called on the government to “consider very carefully” a request from Papua New Guinea for a $1.5bn loan, suggesting Australia must do more for the Pacific for its own sake rather than to block China’s growing influence.Acting opposition leader Richard Marles made the call on Tuesday after the Australian Financial Review revealed the loan request. Continue reading...

Scott Morrison should bring strong climate commitments to next year’s forum to avoid a repeat of this year’s summitLast week at the close of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu I described the leaders’ discussions as frank and fierce. It is now well-known that the leaders debated the text of the Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now for many hours. I do not want to comment on the tone of the debate, as many others have done that already.Instead, as incoming Pacific Islands Forum chair, Vanuatu has a message for Australia: we ask that Australia prepares well ahead of the next forum meeting in 2020 and comes to the table ready to make real, tangible commitments on climate change. Continue reading...

Amnesty International cautiously welcome Papua New Guinea’s offer but say it is not a ‘fix-all’ for six years of ‘terrible treatment’All remaining refugees on Manus Island can relocate to Port Moresby, the Papua New Guinean government has said, offering to continue providing accommodation and health services in the capital city.According to refugees on Manus Island, notices were issued on Monday informing the 120 or so men left on the island of the offer, which has been cautiously welcomed by Amnesty International. Continue reading...

Three UK residents yet to apply for settled status describe their fears about a no-deal Brexit

European citizens in UK fear they could be caught up in hostile environment policies

Lawyer for abuse victim asks prince to support investigation into late financier’s crimesPrince Andrew should give sworn testimony on “everything he knows” about his friend Jeffrey Epstein after saying he was appalled by the disgraced financier’s sex crimes, lawyers for some of Epstein’s victims have said.Representatives of women including Virginia Giuffre, who was pictured with Andrew in a now notorious photograph and alleges she was made to have sex with him, urged the prince to help them secure justice for the women Epstein abused. Continue reading...

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s policies have left the country on its knees – and those who dare to protest are met with violenceIn the Shona language, Nyamavhuvhu (August) signals the end of winter. The strong winds carry away the frost as they usher in the warmth of summer. With the silent strength of a new season, public discontent towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s failing socio-economic policies sweeps across Zimbabwe, manifesting itself through mounting displeasure and the growing threat of civil unrest.Related: Chaos in Harare as Zimbabwe riot police violently disperse protesters Continue reading...

Detective tells corruption trial that Omar al-Bashir disclosed payments after he was deposedOmar al-Bashir told investigators he had received millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia, a detective has said in court on the first day of the deposed Sudanese president’s high-profile corruption trial.Bashir has been in detention since being forced from power in April when security forces withdrew their support for his regime after months of popular protests. Continue reading...

At least 66 people wounded in Jalalabad two days after attack on Kabul wedding killed 63A series of bombings has struck restaurants and public squares in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, wounding at least 66 people, officials said, as the country marked the 100th anniversary of its independence.No group claimed responsibility for the 10 bombs on Monday but both Islamic State and Taliban militants operate in the area. Continue reading...

Inquest also hears local resident told police he saw two cars – one with a boy in a Spider-Man suit – drive awaySome witnesses dispute an element of William Tyrrell’s foster mother’s recollection of the day the three-year-old went missing, an inquest has been told.William’s foster mother says she saw two unknown cars in the street just before the boy went missing, but police have been unable to back up that account, an inquest has been told. Continue reading...

Minister for Indigenous Australians called ‘utterly disrespectful’ for Lingiari lecture remarksIndigenous groups around the country have strongly criticised Ken Wyatt for using a major address to rule out including a voice to parliament in any referendum on constitutional reform, with one Uluru statement advocate labelling him “utterly disrespectful” of the wishes of Indigenous people.The Uluru statement from the heart clearly calls for a voice enshrined in the constitution as a crucial structural reform. Continue reading...

PM Enele Sopoaga responds to Michael McCormack’s belief that Pacific islands will survive climate crisis because they ‘pick our fruit’The prime minister of Tuvalu is considering pulling his country out of Australia’s seasonal worker program, after comments by Australia’s deputy prime minister that Pacific islanders threatened by climate change would survive because “many of their workers come here and pick our fruit”.“I thought the Australian labour scheme was determined on mutual respect, that Australia was also benefiting,” Enele Sopoaga told RNZ. Continue reading...

Landmark public hearing into responsible lending hears criticism of court ruling that threw out Westpac lawsuitAbout a third of lenders aren’t checking to see whether potential borrowers already owe money to other financial institutions, one of Australia’s biggest mortgage broker groups has told a hearing.“We have about one third of our lender panel who do not require verification of commitments outside their institution,” said the chief executive of Mortgage Choice, Susan Mitchell. Continue reading...

I tried to re-enact my nanna’s depression-mindset, zero-waste home, but no victory over plastic went unpunishedMy “plastic-free” July began with an idea to retain every piece of plastic waste I consumed, and port it around over the month in a bag with me wherever I went.Had I stuck to this plan – despite deliberate and even desperate efforts to excise plastic waste from my life – I’d now be limping around like Skinner, from Howard Barker’s The Castle. She’s a witch punished for a murder by having her victim’s corpse strapped to her back. Continue reading...

Move comes week after survivor Grace Tame won exemption to tell her story

Centre-right MPs say the policy must be part of any coalition agreement after September’s electionsAustria’s centre-right People’s party has said it will insist on the banning of the far-right Identitarian Movement as a condition of any coalition after parliamentary elections next month.Such a ban “must be in the next coalition agreement,” the People’s party (OeVP) parliamentary group leader August Woeginger said in a statement released to Austrian media. Continue reading...

Parents say full extent of son’s injuries are still unknown after two operations but they are hopefulThe parents of a six-year-old boy who was allegedly thrown from a viewing platform at Tate Modern have said his condition is stable, but they still do not know the full extent of his injuries.In a statement thanking those who have donated to a crowdfunding appeal, they said: “Our son has already undergone two long and difficult operations … But he is alive, struggling with all his strength, and we remain hopeful. Continue reading...

Canada accuses UK of ‘offloading responsibilities’ over dual-national Isis recruitJack Letts, who left his home in Oxfordshire to join Isis five years ago, has been stripped of his British citizenship while being held in a Syrian prison.The move sparked a diplomatic row as Canada – where Letts qualifies for a passport through his father – accused the UK government of “offloading its responsibilities”. Continue reading...

Australia should diversify its network of defence allies as the military might of America weakens, report warnsAmerica’s military authority is waning and it is ill-prepared to go to war with China in the Indo-Pacific region, a new report from the United States Studies Centre has warned, arguing Australia must move towards a shared reliance on a network of allies, in particular Asian militaries such as Japan, for its security.The report, Averting Crisis, says America’s defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific region is in “the throes of an unprecedented crisis”, created by a mismatch between its ambition to remain the region’s dominant military power, and an overstretched armed force with falling and failing resources. Continue reading...