Russian president’s remarks come as Kyiv rescuers find more than a dozen dead in apartment block after strikesVladimir Putin has said he wants a “lasting and stable peace” in Ukraine but given no indication that he is willing to make any concessions to achieve it, after a week in which Russian missiles and drones again caused death and destruction across Ukraine.“We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” said Putin, speaking to journalists on Friday, a week before a new deadline imposed by Donald Trump for hostilities to cease. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/01/putin-offers-no-hint-of-concessions-as-he-says-he-wants-stable-peace-in-ukraine-russia

Claimed sighting 300km south of typical crocodile territory started as a Facebook post before doing the rounds of breakfast TVSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereIt started as a Facebook post on a community noticeboard by a man with a designer dog as his profile picture and just a few friends – but within 24 hours it was doing the rounds of breakfast TV and online news platforms.The question was: had Ross Buckley really seen a 3.5-metre crocodile while on his “usual 6:30am stroll” down the dog beach at the mouth of the Noosa River? Was Buckley even real? Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/21/crocodile-noosa-queensland-reported-sighting-sparks-questions

Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young warns $14m in federal funding ‘nowhere near’ enough to support South Australian communities reeling from toxic algal bloom covering coastGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGet Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as an emailThe Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says $14m in federal funding is “nowhere near what will be needed” to support South Australian communities dealing with the state’s algal bloom catastrophe.The environment minister, Murray Watt, announced the federal assistance package on Monday while visiting South Australia to see the impacts of a toxic algal bloom that for months has caused mass deaths of marine life across the state’s beaches.Get Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as an email Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/21/south-australia-algal-bloom-crisis-not-national-disaster-murray-watt-says