Speed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdog 11. September 2026 (07:00) National Audit Office says failure to implement £70bn modernisation would also hold back economic growthThe ‘great grid upgrade’ is off track – ministers should spell out the risks for billsConsumers will pay higher energy bills unless the UK government speeds up work on a vast programme of upgrades to the electricity grid to enable the switch to renewables, the public spending watchdog has warned.The National Audit Office (NAO) said that without faster action the extra costs associated with managing the ageing power network, which are ultimately passed on to the public, could reach £7.8bn a year by 2030. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Diana’s ‘revenge dress’, worn when Charles revealed infidelity, up for auction 11. September 2026 (07:00) Christina Stambolian dress from 1994 has defined a whole category of fashion and is expected to fetch up to £220,000The dress that Diana, Princess of Wales wore one September evening in 1994 would have been memorable for its design alone – black, fitted, off-the-shoulder, skintight and short. However, it has another distinction, of defining a whole category of fashion – what has since become known as “revenge dressing”.Worn by Diana the same night Charles would reveal his infidelity on TV, the dress was quickly labelled “the revenge dress” by the media. It has its own Wikipedia page, with the same title. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iceland to submit bill that could ban whaling in its waters 11. September 2026 (07:00) The country is one of just three that still permits commercial whaling, while its government has faced mounting pressure to ban the practiceIceland will submit a bill in February 2027 which could permanently ban whaling in its waters, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries to permit commercial whaling.Whaling in Iceland has been put under intense scrutiny since a government-commissioned report was published in 2023 that found harpooned whales took two hours to die. The report led to a temporary suspension of the hunt that year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NSW police settle trespass case after visiting Indigenous children’s home 150 times in 20 months 11. September 2026 (06:51) Trespass case launched by two mothers settled after officers often went to families’ houses between midnight and 4amFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo Indigenous mothers have settled a trespass case against New South Wales police, after officers turned up at one of their homes 150 times in 20 months to conduct bail checks on her sons.The case, which was launched against NSW police in April 2024, was settled on confidential terms three weeks before it was to go to trial in the supreme court. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
