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Man arrested in Seven Hills on Wednesday one of the principal offenders', NSW police allege

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President's declaration allows officials to tackle fuel hoarding or profiteering, while energy secretary says country will lean more heavily on coal

Israel and Gulf states are targeted by Iran while Tehran denies any negotiations with US to end war

Dozens of former Israeli military, police and spy chiefs describe situation as organised Jewish terrorism'

Managing director Hugh Marks says broadcaster will not back down on workers' demands despite severe disruption to television, radio and digital

US military reportedly preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to Middle East coming days

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Panel denies attorney general's bid after Riverside county sheriff Chad Bianco seized 650,000 special-election ballotsA three-judge panel has denied a filing by California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, seeking a court order to stop the Riverside county sheriff's department from continuing its recount of ballots from the November 2025 special election.The LA Times reported that Bonta filed a petition with the fourth appellate district on Monday, writing that the sheriff's misguided investigation threatens to sow distrust and jeopardize public confidence" in upcoming elections. Continue reading...

Emily Gregory defeats Republican Jon Maples in district that is home to US president's Palm Beach estateDemocrats managed to flip a seat in the Florida state house in the district that is home to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago.Emily Gregory, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had an endorsement from the US president, in the special election in Florida's 87th state house district. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening, with Gregory, a public health expert and small business owner, leading by more than 2 percentage points. Continue reading...

Growing numbers of young voters are signing up to the Mori electoral roll as debate flares over the need for dedicated seats ahead of November's electionMore young people have signed up to vote in Mori electorates, new figures from the electoral commission show, as New Zealand prepares for an election this year.The rise comes after years of tense relations between Indigenous New Zealanders and the centre-right coalition government. The latest figures show 58% of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds have registered for the Mori roll, up from 50% in 2023. Continue reading...

Investigation concludes actor will not face criminal charges, with Ritchson also declining to pursue a potential charge against his neighborThe Reacher star Alan Ritchson will not face criminal charges in relation to a widely publicised violent confrontation with a neighbor, after Tennessee police found he was acting in self-defense.In a video obtained by TMZ on Sunday, the 43-year-old actor appeared to strike Ronnie Taylor several times as Taylor kneeled on the ground in a suburban neighborhood in Tennessee. Ritchson's two children could be seen nearby sitting on motorbikes and watching the incident unfold. Continue reading...

Incumbent's party appear to have largest vote share but are poised for their worst showing since 1901 with Rasmussen's Moderates likely to be kingmakers

The impact of the war in the Middle East is likely to reshape the global economy for years - is this the moment for Australia to change the way it thinks about energy? Post your questions now for our climate and environment editorSign up here to ask a questionThe US-Israel war on Iran has cause a surge in fossil fuel prices - again. A similar thing happened after Russia invaded Ukraine. Then it was gas, now it's petrol and diesel.The war has triggered a fuel crisis, and led to a surge in people considering buying electric cars. Meanwhile, a recent report found Australian federal and state government will pay or forgo A$16.3bn in fossil fuel subsidies this financial year. Continue reading...

Force previously said it was too busy' to investigate theft despite it potentially holding sensitive informationPolice are revisiting a closed investigation into the theft of Morgan McSweeney's phone after admitting they recorded the wrong address when he reported the crime.Keir Starmer's former chief of staff told the Metropolitan police that his phone was stolen in central London when he was returning home from a restaurant on 20 October last year, the Times reported. Continue reading...

Survey puts Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco ahead with Democratic vote split between large field of candidatesRepublicans continue to lead the California governor's race amid a crowded field of Democrats, a new poll commissioned by the state's Democratic party found, fueling concerns of a conservative win in the famously liberal state.The party on Tuesday published the results of a large-scale poll of 2,000 likely voters conducted by Evitarus Research that revealed that 16% of participants would back the conservative political commentator Steve Hilton in the upcoming primary, while 14% would support Chad Bianco, the Riverside county sheriff. Continue reading...

More than 4m spent on 39 visits abroad, with most expensive being PM and officials' 413,000 visit to Cop30Keir Starmer's government is spending an increasing amount on foreign trips, with almost 40 visits abroad adding up to more than 4m since he took office, the latest transparency figures have showed.The prime minister had his most costly quarter for foreign travel in the last three months of 2025, with eight trips adding up to 1.2m. Continue reading...

British investigators are circumspect, but experts and security officials say incident has hallmarks of Iranian intelligence

The former president was in prison for a coup attempt after losing the country's last election

Lawsuit argues XAI failed to disclose risks, limitations and exposure to harm that come with using chatbotThe mayor and city council of Baltimore, Maryland, filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI company on Tuesday, alleging that its Grok chatbot violated consumer protections by generating nonconsensual sexualized images.Baltimore's lawsuit argues that xAI deceptively marketed Grok as a general-purpose AI assistant and X as a mainstream social media site, failing to disclose the risks, limitations and exposure to harm that come with using the platform and chatbot. The suit, filed in the circuit court for Baltimore city, argues that the court has jurisdiction over xAI given that the company advertises and operates in Baltimore. Continue reading...

White House says Maga influencer appointed to role for tourism, exceptionalism and American valuesDonald Trump's appointment of Nick Adams, the alpha male" Australian turned American internet provocateur as a new special presidential envoy on Tuesday, could give fuel to theories that the White House is deliberately trolling the world.The president nominated the Sydney-born Maga influencer, who has a history of theatrically inflammatory and Islamophobic comments, as ambassador to Malaysia in July, but the Senate returned the appointment without a confirmation vote in January and Trump did not re-submit him. Continue reading...

New Nasa chief, Jared Isaacman, has outlined several changes to flagship moon programme ArtemisNasa is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20bn base on the moon's surface over the next seven years, its new chief, Jared Isaacman, said on Tuesday.Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a day-long event at Nasa's Washington headquarters at which he outlinedchanges he is making to the agency's flagship moon programme Artemis. Continue reading...

California governor backtracks and says he meant to apply term to Israel's future if it continues on present trajectoryThe California governor, Gavin Newsom, backtracked on earlier remarks likening Israel to an apartheid state" in a new interview with Politico published on Tuesday.In the interview, the Democrat, who is widely expected to launch a presidential bid in 2028, said that when he used the term three weeks ago, he meant it to apply to Israel's future should it continue on its present trajectory. Continue reading...

Labour and Liberal Democrats welcome suspension of Chris Parry, the party's Hampshire mayoral candidate, after derogatory remarks about Jewish groupThe live feed from the Lib Dem local elections campaign launch did not last long, and it did not include footage of Ed Davey taking questions from reporters. But this is what the Lib Dems are saying about their five key campaign issues.-Cut the cost of living: A plan to halve energy bills within a decade, saving households an average of 870 a year

Greg Bovino says Trump's immigration crackdown hasn't gone far enough in exit interview with the New York TimesAs his retirement looms, Gregory Bovino, the US border patrol's former commander-at-large, has contended that efforts to curb illegal immigration by Donald Trump's administration have not gone far enough - showing no remorse over federal agents' killings of two US citizens in Minneapolis in January.I wish I'd caught even more illegal aliens," he told the New York Times on Tuesday in an exit interview, during which he also referred to the Republican president as the Trumpster" and acknowledged his retirement at the end of March was not entirely voluntary. Continue reading...

Industry groups say delay to defence investment plan (DIP) leaving UK behind in global race for fundingDefence manufacturers are going bust while others have been left in paralysis" and bleeding cash" as they wait for a long-delayed UK military spending plan for the next decade, MPs have heard.Industry groups said that a more than six-month delay to the defence investment plan (DIP) has also left the UK behind Germany and the US in attracting cash from global investors. Continue reading...

Youth organisation says its belief in dignity, respect and inclusion' is unchanged but it must operate lawfully'Transgender girls and women who are part of Girlguiding groups have been given until September to leave the organisation, under new rules introduced after the supreme court ruling on gender last year.In an announcement on Tuesday, Girlguiding said current members who were trans girls or trans young women could stay until 6 September 2026, at which point they would have to leave. Continue reading...

Spokesperson says New York Times will be going back to court' after defense department hastily announces new arrangement

Bright Line Watch researchers see stabilization in democratic health but at lower levels after sharp declineThe health of American democracy, as measured by those who study it most closely, has settled into a diminished state - stabilizing after a sharp decline last year, but still well below the levels recorded before the start of Donald Trump's second term, according to a new survey released on Tuesday.The findings, by the non-partisan democracy-tracking project Bright Line Watch, which has surveyed hundreds of US scholars at American colleges and universities since 2017, suggest that the erosion of norms detected after Trump's return to the White House last year has hardened into a new baseline. The public also holds a dim view of American democracy, the most recent survey found, but are sharply divided along partisan lines over how well the system is functioning. Continue reading...

GB Energy chief Jurgen Maier says boost could bring economic benefits amid energy cost crisis and actually help transition from fossil fuelsThe head of the UK's national green energy champion has joined other high-profile renewable energy leaders in making the case for more North Sea oil and gas production as the government braces for an energy cost crisis.GB Energy boss Jurgen Maier used a social media post on LinkedIn to reject the claim that more North Sea oil and gas could help to bring down energy costs which have soared as the war in Iran has escalated. Continue reading...

Critics say 15 toy designed for children aged two and over risks exposing them to a very adult, performative world'Argos has ignited a debate among parents and child development campaigners after promoting a wooden influencer kit" aimed at toddlers.Critics have warned that the play set could normalise the precarious world of digital labour and prematurely expose children to the pressures of online visibility. Continue reading...

Chancellor says package offered by Liz Truss's government was unaffordable and any future help will be targetedRachel Reeves has ruled out universal support to deal with any future rise in energy bills, saying any government help would be targeted, and criticised the support offered by Liz Truss's government as unaffordable and irresponsible.The chancellor also said she would review the planned fuel duty rise in September, but she did not commit to delaying or postponing it. Continue reading...

Poll also finds Australians keener for government to forge closer ties with middle powers' such as Canada and Japan

A study found correlation between the environment and long-term wellness in sample of 1,978 who attended college between 1940-80Attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU) as a young adult may be linked with better later-life cognitive outcomes for Black Americans, according to a recent study. The authors sampled 1,978 Black American adults who attended college between 1940 and 1980 (35% attended an HBCU), and who attended a high school in a state with an HBCU. The conclusion? There may be a correlation between collegiate environment and long-term wellness.During that time frame of attendance, two major policy implementations shaped schooling in the country: first, in 1952, Brown v Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional; and second was the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which barred racial discrimination in school. Continue reading...

Comedy duo will take the stage together in the West End for the first time in 17 years in Cinderella alongside Julian ClaryDawn French and Jennifer Saunders are to return to the stage together for the first time in 17 years to play the Ugly Sisters in the London Palladium pantomime.It won't be pretty," the popular duo predicted in an announcement on Tuesday. We have wished to play the Ugly Sisters for so many years, it feels this is the fulfilment of a dream - a dream our hearts made." Continue reading...

Park police chief says officer was ambushed' by two gunmen who fired as officer drove in unmarked vehicleA US park police officer was seriously wounded Monday evening in a shooting in Washington DC in what the park police chief called an ambush.Park police chief Scott Brecht said in a press briefing that the unidentified officer was ambushed" by two gunmen who fired at the officer as he drove by in an unmarked vehicle. The officer was working on a park police investigation when he was shot. The chief declined to give specifics of the investigation. Continue reading...

Diplomatic sources say negotiations in Islamabad may begin next week, though no formal agreement is in place

Experts say brutal temperatures in west threaten to melt sparse snowpack - and warn hot, dry conditions here to stayA stunning heatwave that shattered records in the US west is threatening to rapidly melt the sparse snowpack and ramp up wildfire risks in the seasons ahead.March has already been historically hot, but the early onset of summer weather across the region may be here to stay. There's little reprieve in forecasts, which show more heat records may fall this spring. Continue reading...

National peak body will work with community-controlled organisations to address rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls

Leon Botstein's communications and relationship with Epstein under review by WilmerHale law firm, while Bard president says he never witnessed anything inappropriateA victim of Jeffrey Epstein who had previous interactions with Leon Botstein said she believed the Bard College president, whose relationship with the late sex offender is currently under review, was part of a group of influential and accomplished men whose proximity to Epstein helped to rehabilitate his reputation.Svetlana Pozhidaeva, a former Russian model who worked as a staffer" for Epstein, told the Guardian in an interview that she saw Botstein with Epstein together quite frequently" - including having flown with him on a trip to Epstein's island in December 2012 - and that she believed his reputation as a sophisticated intellectual" helped legitimize" Epstein. Continue reading...

Prescription fees to be capped at 21 and practices must publish price lists, watchdog says

The Australian Institute of Architects' judges sought to highlight a gentler approach to urban transformation,' chair of the awards steering committee says

David Pocock says a flat 25% export levy on gas producers could redirect wartime profits' to struggling Australians

Dayton Webber, 27, accused over shooting death of Bradrick Wells in Maryland, reportedly after argument inside carA Maryland man who made history as the first quadruple amputee to compete in the professional televised American Cornhole League has been arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing a passenger in his car during an argument.Dayton Webber - who became a champion cornhole player after losing his limbs and nearly dying from a bacterial infection in his infancy - faces murder charges in connection with the death of Bradrick Wells, authorities said on Monday. Continue reading...

Chris Bowen says move aimed at accessing fuel imports from markets with lower burning temperatures, including the US, Canada and Europe

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Vehicle numbers on key Sydney and Melbourne roads hold steady, as calls grow for free or cheaper public transport to encourage people to drive less

In today's newsletter: Our diplomatic editor on how global instability feeds into conflict in so many parts of the world, and whether the threshold for a major global war has been metGood morning. The world is at war. From the trenches of eastern Ukraine to the missile-streaked skies of the Gulf, a growing proportion of humanity is living under the horror of conflict. For some observers, there are gnawing fears that the worst is yet to come. The apparent collapse of the rules-based international order, the irrelevance of institutions designed to uphold it, and the interconnectedness of the fighting have sparked warnings that we could be at the beginning of a third world war. Indeed, half of Britons polled in a recent YouGov survey thought world war three was likely in the next five to 10 years.On Monday, Donald Trump stepped back from deepening the US and Israel's war with Iran, announcing that he would postpone military strikes on Iranian power plants for a five-day period after very good and productive conversations" about the end to the fighting. Iran denied this version of events, claiming Trump had been scared off by their threats of attacks on water infrastructure in the Gulf. But, despite calmer stock markets and a sharp drop in the oil price, there is little sign that the fighting is near an end.Middle East | The Israeli military said it had launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, after Donald Trump signalled a pause in US attacks against energy infrastructure after what he said were productive talks with Iran.UK Politics | Ministers are looking at providing support for household bills next winter, Keir Starmer said, as he suggested the energy price shock unleashed by the Iran conflict could continue for months to come.London | Security agencies are investigating whether a group linked to Iran is behind an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in north London.Climate crisis | More countries will face critical food insecurity if world heats up by 2C, analysis shows.New York | The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet have been killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport. Continue reading...

US president extends deadline over strait of Hormuz and speculates deal could soon be done to end war

The Last Princesses of Punjab opens on Thursday at Kensington PalaceThe extraordinary life of an exiled Punjabi princess, embraced by the British royal court and a goddaughter of Queen Victoria, but who would become a pioneering suffragette and challenge the very authority of the elite social circles in which she moved, is to be told in a new exhibition.Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was the daughter of Duleep Singh, the last Sikh maharajah of the Punjab. As a child he was forced to surrender his lands to the East India Company in 1849, and sign away the famous Koh-i-noor diamond, now a potent symbol of colonial exploitation and set in the crown of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Continue reading...