More than 200 marine species off the coast of South Australia (SA) have been killed by a weeks-long toxic algae explosion, in what conservationists have described as “a horror movie for fish”.

The algal bloom – a rapid increase in the population of algae in water systems – has been spreading since March, growing to about 4,500 sq km (3,400 sq miles), or roughly the size of nearby Kangaroo Island.

“It’s an unprecedented event, because the bloom has continued to build and build,” said Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist.

Other scientists say the algae produces poisons which “act like a toxic blanket that suffocates” a wide range of marine life, including fish, rays and sharks.

Brad Martin, SA project manager for OzFish, a non-profit organisation that protects fishing habitats, said that while algal blooms are not uncommon, the “massive” scale of the current event has had a dramatic impact on marine life.

Toxins produced by the algae can cause “gill and tissue damage” by attacking the red blood cells, Mr Martin told the BBC.

The large density of the bloom also means that oxygen is being taken out of the water, “so we know that the fish are suffocating”.

“It is like a horror movie for fish,” he said.

The event has been widely documented by people sending in pictures of dead wildlife washed up on beaches.

The effect on sharks and rays has been particularly graphic, with large numbers washing up on beaches “bright red”, showing indications of haemorrhaging.

A three-metre great white shark was among those found dead in recent weeks.

Among the more than 200 species that have been killed, which range from the smallest of baby fish to great whites, some are more vulnerable than others.

Reef species like crabs and pufferfishes have been the worst hit, as they are less mobile and can’t swim away from the toxic algae.

While the algae isn’t harmful to humans, those exposed to high doses can experience skin irritation and respiratory symptoms such as coughing or breathing issues.

The SA government has advised people to avoid swimming at beaches where there is discoloured water and foam.

Algal blooms occur during sunny and warm conditions, and SA has had a marine heatwave since last September, with temperatures about 2.5 degrees warmer than average.

Australia has also been experiencing unseasonably warm conditions since March, which has further driven the size and duration of the current algal bloom.

The last time SA recorded a large event of this type of toxic algae was in 2014, according to the state’s environment and water department.

The spread has also affected some commercial fisheries, which have pre-emptively closed harvest areas.

Local coastal businesses have also seen a dip in visitors due to the sheer number of dead marine life washing up on shore.

Meanwhile, researchers and the SA government are continuing to monitor the bloom as it moves west.

(BBC News)

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at The Hague over his drug war that killed thousands, has been elected mayor of his family’s stronghold, according to early, partial results.

Two of his most loyal aides – long-time assistant Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the one-time police chief in charge of enforcing his drug war – have been re-elected to the country’s senate.

But the midterm election, dominated by a spectacular feud between the Duterte and Marcos dynasties, has also thrown up some unexpected results.

The fate of Duterte’s daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, remains in the balance as counting continues.

Sara Duterte – who is widely expected to run for president in 2028 – is facing the prospect of a ban from politics should a jury made up of the country’s senate vote to impeach her.

It meant the midterms – which saw 18,000 seats contested, from local officials to governors and senators – became a proxy war between her supporters and her one-time ally, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Candidates supporting either dynasty went head-to-head, with Duterte’s camp seeking the nine senate votes she needs to avoid impeachment.

But an unofficial tally of 68% of the vote suggests it is unclear which way it has gone.

Marcos Jr’s endorsements appear to not have worked as predicted by opinion polls – only one of his candidates, broadcaster Erwin Tulfo, made the top five in the unofficial count.

The rest of the top five was made up of the two Duterte aides and two independents while there is a tight race for the rest of the winning circle of 12.

The vice-president, meanwhile, remains widely popular despite her political troubles, and the president will be leaving office in 2028.

Results so far show the Duterte’s have managed to retain their powerbase in the south of the country – just two months after the 80-year-old populist leader was arrested at Manila Airport and flown to the Netherlands on the same day to face the International Criminal Court.

It was his arrest – approved by Marcos Jr – which pushed the rivalry between his daughter and the current president to boiling point, a few weeks after the president’s allies in the House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice-President Duterte.

The older Duterte was widely expected to win as mayor, given the family has held the post since the mid-1980s.

Duterte himself led Davao, a sprawling southern metropolis, for two decades before he was elected president in 2016. There, he showcased his drug war that he credited for the city’s success, and won him the support of millions far beyond its borders.

His youngest son, Sebastian, the incumbent mayor, was elected vice-mayor, meaning he can discharge his father’s duties in his absence. Another Duterte son, Paolo, was re-elected as congressman. His grandchildren won local posts.

Duterte’s name remained on the ballot as he has not been convicted of any crime. He beat the scion of a smaller rival political family.

Maintaining a political base in Davao city in the south is crucial for the Dutertes – it is where they get the most voter support.

The election was not just a battle between the two families, however.

Monday’s vote saw long queues under temperatures of 33C (91F) and sporadic reports of violence and vote machines malfunctioning.

Like past elections, song-and-dance, show business-style campaigns played out on stage and on social media, underscoring the country’s personality and celebrity politics that sometimes overshadow more pressing issues such as corruption, high cost of living and creaking infrastructure.

(BBC News)

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to overhaul a “broken” immigration system, with plans to tighten English tests for all visa applicants and their adult dependants among the reforms being considered.

Migrants will also have to wait 10 years to apply to settle in the UK, instead of automatically gaining settled status after five years, under the plans.

Labour’s long-awaited migration rules, to be published soon, will “create a system that is controlled, selective and fair,” the prime minister said.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the idea Sir Keir “is tough on immigration is a joke” and promised to push Parliament to introduce a cap on migration.

Speaking before the publication of the Immigration White Paper, Sir Keir accused industries being “almost addicted to importing cheap labour” instead of “investing in the skills of people here and want a good job in their community”.

He singled out engineering as an industry “where visas have rocketed while apprenticeships have plummeted”.

The current system shuts out “young people weighing up their future” who missed out on potential training, Sir Keir said.

Labour have signalled the plan to raise English language requirements across every immigration route into the UK, though have not set out full details.

For the first time, adult dependants will also be required to show basic language skills to help them integrate, find jobs and avoid exploitation.

The BBC has been told the changes are likely to require a change to primary legislation, delaying implementation until the next parliamentary session in 2026.

In a speech, Sir Keir said: “When people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language.”

Critics have warned the rules may split families if partners or parents struggle to learn English.

But research suggests that migrants themselves consider language important.

In 2021, nine-out-of-ten migrants reported speaking English well, according to analysis by the Oxford University Migration Observatory.

Only 1% of migrants self-reported not being able to speak English at all. But those with poor English skills were much less likely to be employed, the analysis found.

The move is part of a wider effort to “tighten up” what the prime minister called a “broken” immigration system.

The changes will also end automatic settlement for migrants on some visas in the UK after five years. Most migrants will need to stay at least 10 years before they can apply for settled status and begin the path to gaining full citizenship.

At the same time, a “fast-track” settlement will be established for nurses, engineers, AI experts and others who “genuinely contribute to Britain’s growth and society”, Sir Keir said.

With settled status, migrants can stay in the UK indefinitely, earn a living, study or get support. It can also be used to start the process to becoming a British citizen.

A 10-year route to settlement would make the UK “more restrictive than most other high-income countries,” Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, told BBC News.

The main impact of the change will be “more visa-fee revenue to the Home Office”, because people on temporary visas pay ongoing fees to be here, Ms Sumption said.

A longer settlement process will also make it “harder for migrants to settle in, because more will lack the rights that come with permanent status”, she added.

But Sir Keir described the plans as a “clean break from the past” that will “ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right”.

Successive governments have tried unsuccessfully to reduce net migration, which is the number of people coming to the UK minus the number leaving.

Net migration climbed to a record 906,000 in June 2023, and last year it stood at 728,000.

The Immigration White Paper brings together months of research by officials and will lay out Labour’s plan to get tougher on migration in the wake of big gains made by Reform UK in the local elections.

The threshold for Skilled Worker Visas is expected to be increased to graduate level, tightened from the current A-level measure – while the list of exceptions to the rules for temporary shortage visas in some industries will be narrowed.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper revealed on Sunday that Labour will change the rules to ensure care workers will no longer be recruited from overseas.

Instead, firms will be required to hire British nationals or extend visas of overseas workers already in the country.

Cooper told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg it is “time to end that care worker recruitment from abroad”.

These two changes will cut up to 50,000 lower-skilled and care workers coming to the UK over the next year, Cooper said.

The Conservative Party said that – while it agrees with the plan to end care worker recruitment from abroad – it would force a vote on a “binding migration cap”.

“But Starmer and Labour will vote it down,” Chris Philp predicted.

He called Labour’s plans “too little” and argued that if the government had stuck with Tory changes, net migration would have dropped “by about 400,000”.

The Liberal Democrats said the immigration system was in “tatters” and trust had been “shattered”.

“Labour must now focus on fixing our broken immigration system and the Liberal Democrats look forward to scrutinising the government’s plans to ensure a system that works for our economy and our country,” home affairs spokeswoman Lisa Smart said.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said that his party’s strong performance in the local elections in England was due to public anger about both legal and illegal migration.

(BBC News)