The Guardian

Man on trial for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder claims he was framed

Yorgen Fenech tells jury he had nothing to do with killing and alleges top adviser to Malta’s then PM was instigatorA businessman on trial for the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has spoken about the charges for the first time in court since his arrest seven years ago, telling the jury he was framed by police and had nothing to do with the killing.During four days of questioning by defence and the prosecution lawyers, Yorgen Fenech, 44, accused the most senior adviser to Malta’s

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Iran faces strait of Hormuz paradox as strategic value of chokehold erodes

Internal calls to end war get louder as Gulf neighbours plan alternative pipelines to cut reliance on waterwayIs the strait of Hormuz, recently cited by the office of the Iranian supreme leader as “the pillar of Iran’s new security order”, and as transformative as possessing a nuclear weapon, in reality becoming a fast-diminishing asset, leaving Iran increasingly vulnerable to the new planned US wave of economic sanctions?It is the key debate that is raging inside Iran, with many different concl

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Antisemitism royal commission ends hearings but delays report to avoid ‘distraction’ from Bondi anniversary

Commissioner Virginia Bell resists push to extend antisemitism inquiry noting need for timely recommendationsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCommissioner Virginia Bell says she will delay – by four days – handing down her final report into antisemitism and social cohesion, in order not to distract from commemorations of the Bondi terror attack.On Wednesday, the last day of public hearings of the royal commission, Be

general  Aug 26, 2026

BBC World

Why Tesla has been caught up in a massive car recall in China

The country's biggest ever car recall affects more than four million vehicles made by Tesla, XPeng, Xiaomi and other firms.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Fears for ‘gregarious’ local celebrity Sammy the elephant seal in Victorian bird flu hotspot

Seals and sea lions often communicate by touch and share spaces with wild birds, placing them at risk of infection from H5N1 virusFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSince H5 bird flu arrived in Portland, Victoria, the situation has been “pretty grim” with many dead and suffering birds on the beach, and the dilemma of how to dispose of the carcasses, according to local resident Lynn Murrell.But since the first confirmed

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Nine CEO confident new AI laws will deliver a ‘world of growth in publishing’ as network slashes costs

Matt Stanton says company has ‘good pipeline’ of AI deals ahead even as it aims to cut $160m in costsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe head of Nine Entertainment sees a “world of growth in publishing” on the horizon backed by laws designed to force tech platforms into commercial deals, even as the network cuts costs across its newsrooms.Parliament passed revamped media bargaining laws last week, clearing the way f

general  Aug 26, 2026

WSJ World News

How the Iranian Shahed Drone Transformed War—With China’s Help

The rapid rise of cheap one-way attack drones was made possible by a complex global supply chain that keeps leading back to China.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Typhoon Narra: record flood waters submerge homes and force mass evacuations in China

Heavy rain expected in parts of Vietnam and southern ‌China, as another storm system, Typhoon Saudel, heads for Japan and TaiwanWidespread flooding triggered by Typhoon Narra has submerged homes and forced mass evacuations in southern China, as another storm system tracked towards Japan and Taiwan.Authorities in Chongzuo, in China’s Guangxi region – famous for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains – on Tuesday evacuated more than 15,000 people after water ⁠levels surpassed a record

general  Aug 26, 2026

BBC World

Musk's SpaceX to build $100bn launch facility in Louisiana

It will be the firm's biggest site yet and aims to send rockets to space in 2029.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Productivity Commission says ‘line was crossed’ when WA premier labelled them ‘east coast clowns’ over GST

Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner, also said it was ‘disappointing’ that Anthony Albanese had ruled out changes to Western Australia’s GST arrangementsThe Productivity Commission has slammed attacks on its integrity as “unacceptable”, after its scathing assessment of Western Australia’s sweetheart GST deal as a costly mistake sparked a fierce political backlash and name-calling.Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner and co-author of the report, said the country’s leading independent economic advisory

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

US halts all immigrant visa applications amid tightening restrictions

Move by state department to limit access is part of Trump’s crackdown on both lawful and undocumented immigrationAll US immigrant visa applications have been paused by the Trump administration as the state department moves to tighten restrictions and limit access to applicants who they deem could end up relying on US assistance, a state department official confirmed Tuesday.The agency launched the initiative at all embassies and consulates in early August, according to the official and visa appo

general  Aug 26, 2026

WSJ World News

The Canadian Bad Cop on the Front Lines of the U.S. Trade War

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Suburban Rail Loop: Victorian government secretly increased public transport fares to help pay for controversial SRL

Labor put ‘levy on all public transport fares in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria’ since January 2025, auditor-general saysThe Victorian government secretly increased public transport fares to raise money to help pay for the Suburban Rail Loop and other Big Build projects, the state’s auditor-general has revealed.The auditor-general’s report, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, also questioned whether the first stage of the multibillion-dollar project – a 26km stretch of twin tunnels

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Billionaire investor says he used AI to write critique of former mentee Scott Bessent

Stanley Druckenmiller said he was ‘proud of using it’ as wider media grapples with parameters around AI useStanley Druckenmiller, a billionaire investor, said he used artificial intelligence to pen his viral Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he sharply criticized the interference of Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, in the US bond market.Many news outlets, including the Guardian, covered the editorial, highlighting Druckenmiller’s rebuke of his former mentee, Bessent. As the story circu

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Polygamous sect leader serving 50 years for child sex abuse gets another 24 years

Samuel Bateman, 50, is convicted of three state child abuse counts after previous conviction on federal countsA polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was given another 24 years in prison Tuesday on separate state convictions for child abuse for hauling girls in an unventilated trailer in Arizona.Samuel Bateman, 50, was convicted of three child abuse counts stemming from an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff that led to the d

general  Aug 26, 2026

WSJ World News

Chinese Court Sentences Artist Who Lampooned Mao

Gao Zhen convicted on charges of insulting Chinese heroes in works from early 2000s.

general  Aug 26, 2026

BBC World

As Ukraine hits Russia's refineries, Russia targets Ukraine's petrol pumps

Fuel companies are urging customers not to linger at the pumps after a wave of deadly attacks.

general  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian

Gavin Newsom puts Spanish-style California mansion up for sale for $7.5m

The 12-bath, seven-bed home near the state capital boasts a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a pool and a tennis courtCalifornia governor Gavin Newsom has put his Sacramento-area mansion up for sale, before his term will end in January.The 12-bath, seven-bed Spanish-style home in Fair Oaks, a suburb of the California capital, hit the market on Monday with an asking price of $7.5m. The estate, which sits on a 8.2-acre (3.3-hectare) parcel of land, boasts an array of amenities including a full-size tenni

general  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian

ICE arrests mother and daughter at Florida hospital after car crash

Agents arrest women who ‘almost died’ after they were hit by vehicle and their car flipped over four times, family sayAn Ecuadorian mother and daughter were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a hospital after a car crash in central Florida.On 20 August, Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her daughter, Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, 19, were involved in a car crash in Poinciana, Florida, according to arrest reports reviewed by multiple news outlets. Continue rea

general  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian

Record-breaking heat dome expected to bring dangerous temperatures to US south-west

As wildfires rage and intense heat builds across the region, daytime highs of 110-11F (43-46C) are forecastSurging temperatures are expected to broil more than 45 million people as a heat dome settles in across the south-western US through the end of August and into early September, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).As wildfires rage in some parts and intense heat builds across the region, daytime highs of 110-115F (43-46C) are forecast, with limited cooling relief in the evenings

general  Aug 25, 2026