The Guardian

Government says country will buy five Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus A321XLR aircraftNew Zealand will spend nearly NZ$3bn ($1.7bn) upgrading its ageing defence fleet, including replacing its “embarrassing” planes that have left multiple prime ministers grounded during international travel, the government has announced.The defence minister, Judith Collins, said NZ$2bn would be spent buying five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and another $700,000 to buy two Airbus A321XLR aircraft. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/21/new-zealand-seahawk-helicopters-defence-spending-planes Author : Eva Corlett in Wellington and agencies Publish date : 2025-08-21 03:06:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Former US president wades into national conflict over House maps, as Texas lawmakers approve map to favor GOPBarack Obama waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agreed with California governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to counter the new Texas congressional map by launching an effort to redraw his own state’s map and create more Democratic-friendly districts, calling it “a responsible approach”.“I believe that governor Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it,” Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard in

Aemo says demand for large-scale energy generation to grow by 21% over next decade. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastButler says Thriving Kids plan will help bolster NDIS long-termHealth minister Mark Butler has said planned changes to the NDIS that will see children with mild to moderate developmental delays or autism diverted into a new program would both help kids and support the funding model behind the disability support service.Change will take some time, obviously, particularly to build a system for thriving kids that parents have confidence in, that has the right

Temperatures are expected to spike with a trio of heat, thunderstorms and fire risks compounding dangersCalifornians are bracing for the first major heatwave of the year, a multiday scorcher that could pose significant threats to public health and sharply heighten wildfire risks.After a notably cooler summer, temperatures are expected to spike across the American south-west starting on Wednesday and extending through the weekend, as severe conditions expand north along the coast into British Columbia by the end of the week. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/20/california-extreme-heat-wave Author : Gabrielle Canon Publish date : 2025-08-20 19:12:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs

French president responds to Israeli PM’s ‘erroneous’ allegations in relation to decision to recognise state of Palestine Emmanuel Macron has hit out at Benjamin Netanyahu for his “abject” and “erroneous” remarks after Israel’s prime minister claimed that antisemitism had “surged” in France after the country’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state in September.In a statement released late on Tuesday, the office of the French president pushed back against Netanyahu’s claim. “The analysis suggesting that France’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine in September is behind the rise in antisemitic violence in France is erroneous, abject, and will not go

State house to hold vote on map intended to flip five Democrat-held seats; US attorney general releases latest arrest numbers The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.“America we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?” read a caption on the account’s first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/aug/20/tulsi-gabbard-security-clearance-donald-trump-administration-us-politics-latest-updates Author : Shrai Popat (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) Publish date : 2025-08-20 14:40:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

Jean Pormanove featured regularly in videos in which he appeared to be assaulted or humiliated as viewers watchedFrench authorities are investigating the death of a man during a live video stream on the Kick platform, where he had regularly been shown enduring violence and humiliation.Prosecutors ordered an autopsy and opened an investigation into the death of the man, 46, in the village of Contes, north of Nice, on Monday. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/20/french-government-investigating-death-of-man-during-live-stream Author : Reuters in Paris Publish date : 2025-08-20 12:07:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Security minister Dan Jarvis says government is considering options after council granted injunction to stop people being placed at the Bell hotelTrain fares in England are now expected to rise by a higher-than-expected 5.8% next year, causing concern among passenger groups.Rail ticket increases are usually calculated by adding one percentage point to July’s inflation reading on the retail prices index (RPI), which came in 0.2 points above forecasts on Wednesday at 4.8%. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/aug/20/government-housing-asylum-seekers-epping-court-injunction-uk-politics-latest-updates-news Author : Amy Sedghi Publish date : 2025-08-20 09:25:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Former Liberal staffer’s lawyer begins three-day appeal hearing by apologising to justices for her client’s failure to appoint an experienced barristerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBruce Lehrmann can’t afford a barrister to represent him in an appeal against his lost defamation case and deserves substantial damages because he is “a national joke”, the federal court has heard.Lehrmann is appealing Justice Michael Lee’s April 2024 judgment, which found the former Liberal staffer was not defamed by Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 when The Project broadcast an interview with

Allan government commits to accepting all 22 recommendations, with several also directed at federal government Major reforms to working with children checks, a new database and regulator, more unannounced visits to childcare centres and an urgent rethink of how the entire early childhood education system is funded have been recommended as part of Victoria’s urgent review into the childcare sector.The review, written by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and senior bureaucrat Pam White, was released in full by the state government on Wednesday. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/20/victoria-childcare-safety-review-recommendations-unveiled-ntwnfb Author : Benita Kolovos Victorian state correspondent Publish date :

Employees outraged by report Azure platform used by Israel to store surveillance data collected on PalestiniansDozens of Microsoft employees occupied the company’s east campus in Redmond, Washington to protest against what they say is the use of its software by the Israeli military to carry out operations in Gaza and enable the surveillance of Palestinians.Three months after the company said it was launching an independent investigation into the use of its Azure software, current and former staff occupied a space they declared the “Free Zone”, holding placards that read “Join The Worker Intifada – No Labor for Genocide” and “Martyred

Belief that snack chain’s revenues exceed those of Oxford one of many underestimations of importance of HE sectorManchester United and Greggs’ famous sausage rolls are no match for the financial firepower of Britain’s leading universities, despite many members of the public thinking otherwise, according to research.The study by King’s College London’s policy institute revealed that many people have a string of misperceptions about the higher education sector, ranging from its size to the lucrative career boost it gives to graduates. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/aug/20/less-than-greggs-public-have-no-idea-of-value-of-top-universities-study-finds Author : Richard Adams Education editor Publish date : 2025-08-19 23:01:00 Copyright for syndicated

Lehrmann is appealing against a defamation case loss against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has been shot dead in western Sydney in yet another such attack in the city.Emergency services were called to Regiment Grove in Winston Hills at around 7pm on Tuesday night, police said, following reports of a shooting in the street. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/aug/20/australia-news-live-bruce-lehrmann-federal-court-appeal-network-10-lisa-wilkinson-brittany-higgins-parliament-productivity-economic-reform-roundtable-ntwnfb Author : Martin Farrer Publish date : 2025-08-19 20:56:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

US president suggests he may be willing to provide air power to help to enforce potential peace deal with PutinDonald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine to enforce a potential peace deal with Vladimir Putin, tempering a promise to provide Kyiv with security guarantees that European allies had called a significant breakthrough towards halting the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.Asked during a phone interview with Fox News whether he could assure listeners – including many members of his Maga base who support an isolationist America-first foreign policy – that the US would not put troops on the ground

US president says it’s possible Russian leader does not want to make dealVolodymyr Zelenskyy navigated Monday’s meeting more successfully than his Oval Office encounter in February, which ended abruptly when Donald Trump and JD Vance publicly upbraided him for not being grateful enough.In his opening remarks to the media on Monday, the Ukrainian president repeated his thanks at least eight times, the Associated Press reports.A meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin ... could it finally happen?The need for security guarantees agreed – but details unclearTrump believes he is very good at solving conflictsA potential boost for the US arms industry Continue

DoJ agrees to provide Congress documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation, says House lawmaker on MondayThe Republican governors of Louisiana and Tennessee will send hundreds of their national guard troops to assist federal law enforcement in DC – to help assist the president’s “crime crackdown”.They join Mississippi, Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina – who have all sent national guard troops to DC. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/aug/19/texas-congressional-maps-democrats-republicans-donald-trump-us-politics-updates-news Author : Shrai Popat (now) and Matthew Pearce (earlier) Publish date : 2025-08-19 13:27:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

UN human rights office spokesperson says risk of starvation in Gaza is a ‘direct result of the Israeli government’s policy’The UN’s human rights office on Tuesday condemned a far-right Israeli minister for taunting a Palestinian prisoner in his cell and sharing the footage online, Reuters reports.National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video on Friday last week showing him confronting Marwan Barghouti, the most high-profile Palestinian detainee in Israeli custody. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/aug/19/aid-ship-food-gaza-cyprus-israel-middle-east-crisis-latest-updates-news Author : Jane Clinton Publish date : 2025-08-19 10:54:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Sales growth at German-owned discounter is more than double that of the wider marketBusiness live – latest updatesLidl is close to overtaking Morrisons to become the UK’s fifth biggest supermarket chain after a sales rise as shoppers attempted to offset higher household bills with cheap groceries.The German-owned discounter increased sales by 10.7% in the three months to 11 August, according to the latest market share data from analysts at Worldpanel, formerly known as Kantar. This was more than double the pace of the wider market, which rose 4.5%. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/19/lidl-overtake-morrisons-uk-supermarket-sales Author : Sarah Butler Publish date

In today’s newsletter: The Ukrainian president and fellow continental leaders descended on the White House to squeeze support from the US – did they get it?Good morning. Last night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House flanked by a dream team of hastily assembled European heavyweights. Their aim: to coax Donald Trump out of pro-Russian positions he adopted after his Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin last Friday.The meeting was a sign of both panic and resolve from Europe. The fact Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and more cleared their diaries at such short notice to fly to Washington is an indication of

Roger Cook describes ‘horrifying scenario’ after tradespeople found child’s body while cleaning drain on MondayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA baby girl found dead in a storm water drain is believed to have been there for two weeks.The horrifying discovery of the infant’s body was made in Alexander Heights in Perth’s north on Monday afternoon. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/19/dead-infant-storm-water-drain-perth-roger-cook-ntwnfb Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2025-08-19 03:13:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Moscow has yet to confirm meeting after day of intense diplomacy at White House with European leaders Follow it live: Trump arranging a meeting between Zelenskyy and PutinVladimir Putin has agreed to face-to-face talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a peace deal in Ukraine, according to Donald Trump and European leaders, although Moscow has not confirmed the meeting.The potential breakthrough came after a day of tense diplomacy at the White House in which Trump ruled out a ceasefire while Zelenskyy and his allies pushed for US-backed security guarantees as part of any long-term agreement. The Ukrainian president said that following

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFinance minister says government disappointed, but ‘not surprised’ after Israel revokes visasFinance minister Katy Gallagher said the government is disappointed after Israel revoked the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority overnight. Gallagher said the Labor government was not surprised by the move, which came after Anthony Albanese said Australia would recognise a Palestinian state and after the country refused a visa yesterday for a far-right member of Israeli parliament.At a time when we need more diplomacy and more dialogue between countries, it is a disappointing

US president holds meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders after touting ‘very substantial progress’ in Putin talksTrump tells Zelenskyy ceasefire not needed for Russia-Ukraine peace dealA Russian drone attack on a five-storey apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Monday killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others, Ukrainian authorities said.The attack, which took place just before dawn, reduced part of the building to rubble and sparked fires on at least three floors, the region’s governor Oleg Synegubov said on Telegram. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/aug/18/ukraine-war-live-update-russia-zelenskyy-washington-trump-europe-meeting-talks-latest-news Author : Lucy Campbell (now); Jakub Krupa, Jane Clinton

Javon Riley had ‘key role’ in Dalston drive-by that injured three men and left child with bullet in brainA man has been found guilty for his role in the shooting of a nine-year-old girl outside an east London restaurant in a long-running gang feud.The girl was hit in the head by one of six bullets fired by a man on a passing motorbike as she sat with her family in the Evin restaurant in Kingsland High Street, Hackney, on 29 May last year. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/18/javon-riley-man-found-guilty-for-role-in-east-london-shooting-of-nine-year-old-girl-evin-restaurant-dalston Author : Jamie Grierson Publish date : 2025-08-18 13:48:00 Copyright for

Exclusive: Treasury examines options including tax on homes sold for more than £500,000 as well as overhaul of council taxBusiness live – latest updatesThe Treasury is considering a new tax on the sale of homes worth more than £500,000 as a step towards a radical overhaul of stamp duty and council tax, the Guardian has been told.As Rachel Reeves prepares the ground for tax rises in this autumn’s budget, senior ministers have tasked officials to study how a new “proportional” property tax could be implemented and model its impact before reporting back to ministers, who have been briefed on the