Ofsted identified that “young children are left for periods of time with nothing to do” in a report with mixed feedback on the nursery
Staff at a nursery in Huntingdon have been warned that multiple areas assessed “needs attention”. Little Munchkins Nursery & Pre-School on Medway Road, where children are described as “happy and settled”, has been praised for staff’s “positive relationships” with the children.
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The report, published on Monday, July 20, said children “do not always benefit from high-quality learning opportunities as staff do not organise activities well enough”. It added: “For example, young children are left for periods of time with nothing to do and limited learning taking place, particularly during changes in routines. This impacts on children learning and progress.”
Young children “do not achieve as well as they could to help them progress well enough in their learning” at the nursery, the report said. The education watchdog said they “do not consistently benefit as well as older children from the learning intentions as they are not always implemented effectively”. However, Ofsted highlighted that children engage in conversations about their day “at some points”.
The nursery was judged as ‘needs attention’ in three areas and ‘expected standard’ in the other three areas. The areas where Little Munchkins Nursery & Pre-School ‘needs attention’ includes: achievement, curriculum and teaching and leadership and governance.
According to Ofsted, the nursery caters to children aged through one to four with a total of 36 spaces. Part of the report from the inspection on May 6 said: “Leaders have a clear intent for the curriculum, however, there are inconsistencies in staff implementation.
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“Staff do not use every opportunity to teach and extend children’s skills and this impacts on children’s understanding and progress. For example, staff do not help children achieve the learning intention, such as using tools and manipulating play dough. Instead, young children wander around the room not knowing what to do.”
Inspectors praised the nursery for keeping parents well informed of their child’s learning. Staff were also praised for their “positive relationships” with the children who “look to them for cuddles and reassurance if they are upset”.
The report added: “Through warm and responsive relationships, children feel safe in their surroundings and are happy to explore. Children enjoy playing with their peers and share ideas that support their make-believe play.”
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Since their previous inspection, leaders have recruited new staff members. They have provided training and a full induction plan to help staff to understand and follow the setting’s policies and procedures, Ofsted said.
A spokesperson for Little Munchkins Nursery & Pre-School said: “We’re proud that Ofsted recognised our children’s positive attitudes to learning, strong wellbeing support, and inclusive care, noting that ‘children are happy and settled’ have ‘positive relationships with staff’ and how our ‘Children with SEND make more progress, particularly with their personal and social development due to higher staff ratios’.
“We know curriculum and leadership are areas to strengthen, and under new management we’re already taking clear steps to improve. Little Munchkins remains fully committed to providing a safe, nurturing space where every child can thrive.”
In new pictures, he was seen showing off his collection of tattoos while having a swim – opting for a pair of striped blue trunks and chunky black sunglasses.
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One snap showed the dad-of-one laughing as he stood in the water, while another saw him vaping and chatting to a friend, before leaving the beach with a trolley.
Despite taking some time off, it wasn’t a complete holiday for the ITV host as he found time to record his Belta Box podcast with best pal Declan Donnelly – where he confessed to having a very embarrassing situation during the trip.
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Speaking to his co-host in the latest episode, which was filmed remotely while they were both away, Ant revealed that his masseuse walked in on him completely naked before a relaxing message, making things extremely awkward.
Unpacking the scene, he explained that he went to a “really good” Thai massage parlour with his wife, following a recommendation – but they were given a warning over stripping off.
“A friend of ours said, ‘Be careful, when you go there, they come in really quickly’,” he recalled. “So I go in and I’m getting changed. The middle door slides open. My wife’s in this one, I’m in this one. She quickly whips the dress off, pops the paper knickers on, jumps on the bed.
“I take my clothes off, I struggle to kind of get all the buttons done on my shirt.”
Attempting to speed things up, he pulled his shirt over his head instead of unbuttoning it, and then removed his pants.
“So I’m leaning over the bed to get the paper knickers and inadvertently flick the paper knickers off the bed to the other side of the bed. And I’m naked and everything’s hanging out,” he continued, recalling his struggle with the disposable underwear.
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“They land on the ground. I’m standing like this to put my leg in, my leg’s up. As I’m doing that, the door opens and [the masseuse] comes in. She can see everything and we just stare at each other for a bit too long. I went ‘not yet!’”
While he did eventually return to the parlour, he confessed that the pair “couldn’t look each other in the eye” after the excruciating moment…
The families of the two people have been informed and a report is being prepared for the coroner
Two people have died after being pulled from the sea at a beach in Cornwall after a late night emergency on Sunday. A man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene on Fistral Beach at around 9.45pm on Sunday, July 26.
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Emergency services including the ambulance service and police were called to the scene after the coastguard recovered the two bodies from the sea after being called around 9.30pm. The families of the two people have been informed and a report is being prepared for the coroner.
Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.
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“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.
“Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.”
A spokesperson for the coastguard said: “HM Coastguard has been responding to an incident in the South Fistral area, Newquay, overnight.
“First informed at around 9.30pm (26 July), Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene, alongside other emergency services.”
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Avocados are versatile and contain healthy fats, but they can taste pretty bland on their own. Luckily, adding a few simple ingredients can instantly elevate it to something that tastes restaurant-quality
Lunch is my least favourite meal of the day. Deciding what to have for dinner each evening is challenging enough, so when I’m working from home, preparing something fancy is the last thing on my mind.
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To avoid this dilemma, I’ve simply started eating the same thing every day. Avocados are one of my favourite foods — they’re nutritious, satisfying and adaptable, lending themselves to countless different dishes.
But it’s no secret that on their own, they can taste quite bland and uninspiring.
I’ve kept up this avocado habit for several months now, and amazingly, I’ve still not gotten bored. A straightforward avocado smash on toast is just unbeatable, and I think I’ve uncovered the secret to making it taste like something you’d order at a fashionable brunch spot.
It’s not that avocados taste bad — they simply lack that flavour punch so essential when you’re flagging at lunchtime and need a pick-me-up.
After experimenting with various additions, I’ve found two storecupboard essentials that genuinely elevate the dish to another level.
How to make avocado toast taste better
Crispy chilli oil and honey may seem an unusual pairing, but take my word for it — you’ll never eat avocados the same way again.
The combination of the fiery, crunchy topping with the sweet drizzle of honey is so addictive, instantly transforming your ordinary avocado smash.
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When it comes to chilli crisp, the Lao Gan Ma brand is second to none, and is readily available at most Asian supermarkets or the world foods aisle of your local store.
A single jar goes a surprisingly long way, lasting a couple of months, as only a small amount is needed to deliver that wonderfully rich flavour.
Because there’s so much flavour in the chilli oil and the honey, I don’t bother seasoning the smashed avocado with anything. It’s just a case of mashing it up with a fork, spreading on toast, then adding the chilli oil and a drizzle of honey before digging in.
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Lao Gan Ma also be found at Sainsbury’s for £2.75, while a pack of three from Amazon will set you back £7.99. One word of caution before purchasing — once you begin adding it to your meals, it’s hard to stop.
This pairing works equally well with eggs, which, as it happens, make for another great accompaniment to avocado.
No doubt the day will eventually come when the appeal wears off and I need a new lunchtime recipe to try. For now, though, this daily staple shows no signs of losing its charm – and it’s been nearly a year – and any avocado fans out there have to give it a go.
A man and a woman have died after getting into trouble in the sea off a popular beach.
The two people were pulled from the water off Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, at about 21:45 BST on Sunday, about 15 minutes after HM Coastguard said rescue personnel were called.
Devon and Cornwall Police said both were confirmed dead at the scene.
Search and rescue teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes took part in the operation, along with lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and a coastguard helicopter.
Major Anthony Robert Hornby, aged 38, was killed, along with 28 other people, when the Chinook in which he was a passenger crashed in thick fog on the Mull of Kintyre in June 1994.
Major Hornby, from Over Hulton, served with the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and was based in Portadown.
Handout photo issued by Chinook Justice Campaign of Jennifer Balmer-Hornby (right), whose father Major Anthony Robert Hornby MBE, died in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash. Twenty-five intelligence experts and four special forces crew were killed when their helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, on June 2 1994. Issue date: Saturday May 30, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Chinook Justice Campaign/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. (Image: Chinook Justice Campaign)
Jenni Balmer-Hornby, his daughter said last month: “For 32 years, families have fought for the truth about why our loved ones were allowed to board an aircraft that was not fit to fly.
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“This has never been about revisiting the technical cause of the crash. It is about accountability, airworthiness and the decisions that put our loved ones on a positively dangerous helicopter that even the MoD’s elite test pilots and engineers were not allowed to fly.”
A High Court judge ruled this month that the families of several victims of the crash could not bring a legal claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the incident.
Twenty-nine serving military personnel died when the Chinook HC-2 helicopter crashed into the Mull of Kintyre in south-west Scotland on June 2, 1994, during a flight from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland.
While the 2011 Mull of Kintyre inquiry overturned an initial decision to blame the pilots, it did not determine the cause of the crash.
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The Chinook Justice Campaign (CJC), which is made up of more than 55 family members of 25 of the victims, sought to challenge the MoD’s “ongoing failure” to set up an “independent and effective investigation” into the crash.
However, a High Court judge’s ruling threw out the case as the claim had been brought too late.
The CJC legal team has said it will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, but Matt Tobias, son of Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias who was killed in the crash, said the families “do not want years of further litigation”.
CRASH SCENE: The remains of the Chinook helicopter which crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994
Mr Tobias said the Prime Minister “has the power to prevent that” by ordering a fresh independent review.
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He said: “We would urge Mr Burnham to meet us within his first 100 days in office so we can present the evidence that has emerged over recent years and explain why we believe a fresh review, independent of the Ministry of Defence, is now essential.
“Mr Burnham’s speech in the House of Commons, in which he spoke about ending Britain’s cover-up culture and strengthening the duty of candour, gave our families real hope.
“We ask that he and his ministers give the Chinook families more respect than we received from his predecessor, who denied us a meeting and an inquiry – believing MoD lies instead.
“After 32 years, we are not asking for special treatment.
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“We are simply asking for the truth.”
The CJC group has said it wants Mr Burnham to establish a fresh review, independent of the Ministry of Defence, with full access to all relevant documents relating to the airworthiness of the Chinook Mk2 helicopter and the circumstances leading up to the crash.
In the letter delivered to Mr Burnham, the Chinook families said: “Throughout your career you have argued that the State should never use its power to frustrate families seeking the truth.
“We respectfully suggest that the Chinook case now presents the first opportunity for your Government to demonstrate those principles in practice and should be the test case for Hillsborough Law.”
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Hillsborough Law was unanimously backed by MPs in the House of Commons this month.
It would create a legally enforceable duty of candour which compels public officials and authorities to act transparently when investigations and inquiries take place.
The families have requested that victims minister Alex Davies-Jones, re-appointed last week, take up their case as one of the test cases for Hillsborough Law.
Their appeal is backed by former Conservative defence secretary, Sir Liam Fox, who has also written personally to Mr Burnham urging him to resolve the case.
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The Chinook Justice Campaign has also written to new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urging him to “begin correcting the mistakes of your predecessors.”
A man and a woman have died after being pulled from the water at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall. Emergency services including police, the RNLI, ambulance and coastguard attended the scene on Sunday evening.
Police, ambulance crews, and coastguard teams all responded to the scene. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has confirmed that two lifeboats were dispatched to the incident.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, police confirmed that both individuals were declared dead at the scene after being recovered from the water, according to Cornwall Live.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson stated: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.
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“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.A file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”
A spokesperson for the coastguard added: “HM Coastguard has been responding to an incident in the South Fistral area, Newquay, overnight. First informed at around 9.30pm (26 July), Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene, alongside other emergency services.”
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Being kind and even befriending them (while maintaining a safe distance) could get you some serious corvid kudos.
But what about foxes, creatures some think might be becoming increasingly domesticated?
You’ve probably seen viral videos of people treating the wild animals as pets, hand-feeding them and even bringing them into their home.
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We asked James Benwell, a Senior Marketing and Communications Officer at the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, for his thoughts.
Treating foxes as pets could seriously endanger them
James stressed that it’s important to “ leave out food and water for wildlife in a responsible manner”. Fox populations dropped 46% between 1995 and 2021, and providing them the sustenance they need to get through, e.g., heatwaves and winter could make a difference.
But “we absolutely do discourage people from hand-feeding, overfeeding or befriending foxes,” he added.
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“Foxes are equally cursed and blessed in being such beautiful, striking animals, and it is no wonder that people are so captivated by them and want to interact with them,” he explained.
“However, in every interaction with wild animals, we have to keep their best interests at heart rather than our own. Foxes need to retain their wildness in order to survive. Hand-feeding or overfeeding them can lead to a reliance and overconfidence in humans which could spell their downfall.”
It’s not just that the animals need to remember how to forage and hunt on their own – though that’s part of it.
The expert said we also need to remember that not everyone sees foxes in the same way.
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“Foxes have suffered centuries of persecution and vilification at the hands of man,” he reminded us.
And because some people might seek to get a seemingly “aggressive” fox culled, “every interaction which causes them to lose their natural wariness of humans could lead them to having a negative interaction with a person, and ultimately could cost them their lives.”
How can I look after foxes safely?
That’s not to say we shouldn’t have any interaction with the “striking” animals – far from it, James said.
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Particularly in urban environments, where wildlife can be hard to find, having a backyard visitor is “one of the most spellbinding interactions with wildlife you could hope to have, and something which can lead to a lifelong love of nature”.
So, he advised, garden with the creatures in mind.
“Leave out food that can supplement a fox’s natural diet, create areas of shelter, and especially in these hot, dry conditions that we are currently experiencing, leave out plenty of water.”
Some great options include cooked or raw meat, tinned dog or cat food (not bones, though), peanuts, fruit (except grapes and raisins) and even cheese, per Woodland Trust.
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“Whether it be a fox, a hedgehog, a badger or any other fabulous creature which visits your garden, savour every moment of their time with you, but let them live wild and free. They will repay you more than you could ever imagine!”
BANTARGEBANG, Indonesia (AP) — Long before dawn breaks over Indonesia ’s largest landfill, Nur Wencih joins thousands of waste pickers climbing mountains of garbage, searching for anything they can sell.
The 35-year-old widow has worked at the site on Jakarta’s eastern edge for two decades, following her parents, who still earn a living there. The Bantargebang landfill has paid for food and rent while helping her two teenage daughters living with a relative in a rural village. She hopes her daughters will never have to follow the same path.
Living alone in a rented room near the landfill, Wencih earns about 200,000 rupiah ($12) on a good day collecting discarded toys, cardboard and plastic bottles before bulldozers bury them beneath fresh waste. Occasionally, she finds gold jewelry.
“It feels like hitting a jackpot,” Wencih said while taking a break from the sweltering July heat.
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But those lucky finds, and perhaps her livelihood, may soon become far rarer.
Beginning Aug. 1, Indonesia plans to start transforming the site from open dumping to a more controlled system as part of a national waste management plan. The government last month announced it will shut down open-dumping operations at 343 of Indonesia’s 550 disposal sites, requiring them to transition to controlled or sanitary landfill systems and gradually accept only garbage that cannot be recycled or composted, such as diapers, dirty paper towels and stickers.
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Nur Wencih, a waste picker, walks past at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Nur Wencih, a waste picker, walks past at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Waste pickers look for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Waste pickers look for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Meanwhile, residents are being asked to set aside organic waste and recyclables for separate processing, a practice many households have never been taught to do on a large scale.
Dudi Gardesi Asikin, head of Jakarta’s Environment Agency, said the policy aims to improve environmental health, reduce pollution and curb emissions of methane generated by decomposing waste.
Methane is responsible for roughly one-third of global warming and traps more heat than carbon dioxide, making it a key focus of worldwide climate efforts. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, for example, is urging governments to sharply reduce methane emissions, calling it one of the fastest ways to slow global warming.
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A landfill at the center of the methane debate
Garbage trucks line up before unloading waste at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Garbage trucks line up before unloading waste at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Researchers say Bantargebang emits more methane than nearly any other landfill in the world, placing it at the center of Indonesia’s waste management reforms.
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Asikin said Bantargebang opened in 1989 as a sanitary landfill equipped to collect methane. Unlike open dumps, sanitary landfills also cover waste with soil.
But after a private-sector contract ended in 2016, the facility gradually drifted toward open dumping.
“What was never intended to be open dumping became full open dumping,” Asikin said.
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A waste picker looks for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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A waste picker looks for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Waste pickers walk near a tarped section at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Waste pickers walk near a tarped section at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Only two of the landfill’s original 12 methane extraction wells remain operational, Asikin said.
Under the new plan, parts of Bantargebang are already being covered with tarps, and officials hope to cover much more. Asikin estimated that covering the rest of the disposal area could cost as much as 200 billion rupiah ($12 million).
Uncertain future for waste pickers
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Waste pickers take a rest near at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Waste pickers take a rest near at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Indonesia faces a dilemma as it attempts one of its biggest waste-management reforms in decades while also protecting the livelihoods of an estimated 600,000 waste pickers.
At Bantargebang alone, officials estimate more than 4,000 registered waste pickers work among trucks, excavators and mountains of garbage each day. The materials they recover are sorted and sold to a network of traders and recycling businesses that have grown around the landfill.
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“What worries me most is how I will feed my family,” Wencih said of the new plan, while excavators behind her pushed fresh waste onto exposed slopes.
Nur Wencih, a waste picker, takes down her dry clothes at her boarding house near the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Nur Wencih, a waste picker, takes down her dry clothes at her boarding house near the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Nur Wencih, a waste picker, sorts recyclable items of her boarding house near the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Nur Wencih, a waste picker, sorts recyclable items of her boarding house near the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Asikin said the government wants to improve conditions for waste pickers, who already receive some workplace protections and healthcare through a national social security program.
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He believes the new policy will eventually create safer formal jobs in recycling and composting.
“Today they are practically racing against our excavators to grab recyclable materials. It is extremely dangerous,” he said.
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A waste picker drinks water from a plastic bag as she looks for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
A waste picker drinks water from a plastic bag as she looks for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Bunin, a 53-year-old neighborhood chief who lives nearby, said while the landfill causes pollution, it also creates business opportunities including rental housing and food stalls catering to waste pickers.
“The landfill not only brings negative impacts, there are also economic benefits,” said Bunin, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.
A landfill at its limits
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A worker operates heavy machines at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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A worker operates heavy machines at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Covering roughly 110 hectares (272 acres), Bantargebang has grown into a human-made mountain reaching as high as 60 meters (196 feet), roughly the height of a 20-story building. About 7,500 tons of waste arrive daily from the capital city.
“The waste people produce does not disappear. It is gathered in one place and has become a mountain,” said Agung Pujo Winarko, who heads the facility.
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A collapse triggered by heavy rain in Bantargebang in March killed seven people, underscoring the risks posed by the landfill’s sheer scale.
“This situation is extremely urgent,” Winarko said. “Its carrying capacity is reaching, or even exceeding, its limits.”
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A waste picker looks for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
A waste picker looks for recyclable items in a pile of garbage at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Garbage trucks line up before unloading waste at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Garbage trucks line up before unloading waste at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Satellite data analyzed by UCLA’s STOP Methane initiative ranked Bantargebang in 2025 as the world’s second-largest landfill methane emitter after a site in Argentina.
Evan George from UCLA’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment said reducing organic waste entering landfills could lower emissions, but that existing landfills will still require decades of monitoring and gas collection.
Changing Jakarta’s throwaway culture
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A woman throws a bag of trash onto an open garbage dump in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
A woman throws a bag of trash onto an open garbage dump in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Under the new approach, Jakarta residents are expected to separate food scraps and other organic waste from recyclables and residual trash before collection. New refuse-derived fuel plants are also part of the plan.
“What we are doing is somewhat revolutionary,” Asikin said. “For decades, people were never asked to separate their waste.”
But many households are only beginning to learn the system, raising questions about whether enough public education has taken place.
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“All we know is to throw the trash in the bin, not to sort it,” said Rukasih Wanti, a Central Jakarta resident. “The new rule is confusing us. It’s inconvenient, creates extra work and wastes our time.”
Asikin said multiple government institutions, including education and health ministries, are supporting the efforts.
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Sanitation workers collect trash at a traditional market in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Sanitation workers collect trash at a traditional market in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Workers load garbage onto a truck at temporary waste disposal site in Jakarta, Indonesia Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Workers load garbage onto a truck at temporary waste disposal site in Jakarta, Indonesia Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Environmental advocates say new recycling and composting infrastructure is also needed. The transition is daunting because government data shows only about one-quarter of Indonesia’s daily waste is currently handled by formal systems, with the remainder dumped, burned or otherwise unmanaged.
David Sutasurya, executive director of the environmental organization YPBB, said about half of Jakarta’s waste is compostable and another 30% recyclable, meaning up to 80% could be kept out of landfills.
“We delayed transforming our waste-management system for too long, and only realized the problem when landfills were already close to full,” Sutasurya said.
In a West Jakarta neighborhood, Monica T. Anggriani has spent more than a decade persuading neighbors to separate household waste, building a community waste bank that now processes about one ton of organic waste daily through composting, maggot cultivation and urban farming.
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“Our generation was never taught to separate waste,” Anggriani said. “If we don’t start now, nothing will change in the future.”
Workers spray water to cool a pile of garbage during hot weather at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Workers spray water to cool a pile of garbage during hot weather at the Bantargebang landfill on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
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Asked whether Trump had decided against escalation for now, Waltz told NBC: “I wouldn’t go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table.”
Waltz also rejected reports in the New York Times, external that administration officials had warned expanding hostilities could dangerously drain a diminished stockpile of air defence munitions.
“The US military… has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” he said.
As of Sunday evening, Trump had not spoken publicly on the latest developments, but earlier posted computer-generated images on his Truth Social account that depicted US military planes bombing Iranian ships and Kharg island.
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Meanwhile, Iran and Oman held several rounds of technical talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday to discuss management of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
Disputes over control of the strait reignited US-Iran tensions earlier this month and it remains a major block to permanently ending the war.
Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June to halt military operations and reopen the strait, as well as to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days.
But after Iranian forces attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 July, the US resumed airstrikes on the country and reinstated its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
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Iran retaliated with attacks on US military facilities and bases across the Middle East, killing four American soldiers. The US strikes have since killed dozens of people, according to Iran’s health ministry.
In the UK, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he would meet his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in the coming week to discuss the strait, which is one of the world’s key transport routes for oil, liquid natural gas and other essential commodities.
“When it comes to securing maritime freedom and free commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, that’s where we are absolutely aligned,” Streeting told the BBC.
As the war nears its fifth month, it remains largely unpopular in the US, with a new poll from CBS/YouGov suggesting 57% of Americans are frustrated about the conflict and only 19% optimistic.
Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February, official figures show, with the vast majority coming from Iran and Lebanon.
President Trump is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House on Tuesday.
SEATTLE (AP) — Police arrested one suspect and were looking for another after gunfire erupted at a crowded food festival beneath Seattle’s Space Needle, leaving three people dead and four others injured, including a toddler.
Investigators believe the two suspects were shooting at each other and, although one remained on the loose, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis told a news conference Sunday night that there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Police did not have a description of the outstanding suspect, he said.
“We’re still trying to figure this out,” Davis said.
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Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. The four wounded, including a 2-year-old boy, were hospitalized and in stable condition, said Grace Nuñez, spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department. The rest of the injured were adults. Davis couldn’t say if any of the victims were involved in the confrontation.
The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers.
Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and some saw one of the suspects firing, Davis said. One suspect surrendered at the scene, but the other fled. Law enforcement searched the grounds to no avail.
A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area around the sprawling Seattle Center campus.
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Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a crepe vendor when gunfire broke out. She realized a shooter was near them. She and others found shelter in the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.
“We were right next to him when it started so we took off running,” Hunter said. “So we took off running too into the building with the crowd.”
In the chaos, many vendors bolted toward the exits, abandoning their food stands. Hours afterward, some milled outside the police tape, wondering when they would be allowed to return to collect their tents, food and cooking gear.
Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the event, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and frantically running.
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“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”
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After the initial panic, new guests continued to arrive unaware of what had happened and were told by police to leave, he said.
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Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and he turned to see a rush of people fleeing.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said, adding that was when he heard gunshots.
“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he said.
After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to make photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo said.
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The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website.
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Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle, Annika Wolters in Bangkok and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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