Pope Leo to visit Turkey and Lebanon on first overseas trip as pontiff
Vatican says ‘demanding’ six-day mission will be packed with meetings with political and religious leadersPope Leo will make his debut overseas trip as leader of the Catholic church on Thursday, travelling on a six-day mission of peace and unity to Turkey and Lebanon in what the Vatican said was expected to be a “demanding” schedule packed with meetings with political and religious leaders amid heightened Middle East tensions.In Turkey, a country with a Muslim majority and home to an estimated 36,000 Catholics, the Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected in May, will first meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. Continue... [Continue Reading]
Australia politics live: David Littleproud criticises Barnaby Joyce’s defection saying Nationals supported him through ‘his darkest moments’
Follow today’s news liveBarnaby Joyce ‘strongly considering’ move to One Nation after quitting National partyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘We are very close’ on environment bill, Hanson-Young saysHanson-Young says she’s feeling more positive about a deal on the environment bill than she was at the start of the week.I don’t expect that we will get everything we want. We’re just trying one last time [on the basis] that I wanted more protections for our forests, and protections for climate, of course.If we can get movement on those issues, I’ve always said that I’m up for... [Continue Reading]
New rules crack down on high risk loans as Australian property market heats up
Regulator announces 20% cap on share of new lending banks can do on mortgages worth more than six times borrower’s incomeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA crackdown on risky lending will limit banks’ capacity to extend highly geared mortgages, as the financial regulator launches a pre-emptive strike against the growing excesses of an overheated property market.The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority announced a 20% cap on the share of new lending that banks can do at a debt-to-income ratio above six – a mortgage worth more than six... [Continue Reading]
St Vincent prime minister seeks record sixth term in tight election
Ralph Gonsalves campaigns on strong economy in bid to retain office he has held since 2001Voters in St Vincent and the Grenadines will go to the polls on Thursday with Ralph Gonsalves seeking a record sixth consecutive term as prime minister.The elections are expected to be a tight contest between the ruling Unity Labour party, which has been in power since 2001, and the opposition New Democratic party.In the last election, ULP won nine of 15 seats, but the NDP won the popular vote. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Washington DC shooting updates: 2 National Guard members critically wounded
These were the updates on the Washington, DC, shooting for Wednesday, November 26. [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong fire: What we know about deadly Tai Po blaze and why it spread
At least 44 people have been killed in the blaze in Hong Kong's Tai Po neighbourhood. The fire is still raging. [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong high-rise fire live: Blaze kills at least 44, hundreds missing
Firefighters struggle to reach residents potentially trapped on upper floors of burning housing complex. [Continue Reading]
What to Know About the Deadly Fire at a Hong Kong Apartment Complex
Firefighters were still working to end the blaze nearly a day later. At least 44 people were killed, and many more were feared trapped inside the towers. [Continue Reading]
Heading to the Mideast, Pope Leo May Show ‘Who He Really Is’
The pontiff begins a trip to Turkey and Lebanon on Thursday — the first foreign voyage of his papacy, and his biggest test yet. [Continue Reading]
'Our £3.6m bill for flats too dangerous to live in'
Two unsafe tower blocks in Kirkby, Merseyside, were closed down by the fire service in July. [Continue Reading]
Paul Doyle: 'Nice' neighbour behind Liverpool parade carnage
Paul Doyle was considered a steady, dependable family man before a 'calculated' act of violence. [Continue Reading]
‘One of the greatest spy franchises’ streaming in full on Amazon Prime
Manners Maketh Man. [Continue Reading]
Environmental activist Ben Pennings declares ‘massive victory’ after Adani drops its years-long legal pursuit
Queensland supreme court orders Pennings, a campaigner against the Carmichael coalmine, not to seek to acquire Adani’s confidential informationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Indian mining company Adani has agreed to end its marathon legal pursuit of the environmental activist Ben Pennings.Pennings declared victory on Thursday, after the Queensland supreme court signed off on orders on Wednesday, ending the five-and-a-half-year court battle. The order requires Pennings not to seek to acquire Adani’s confidential information or to ask others to do so, but the company has dropped a... [Continue Reading]
Australia politics live: Allegra Spender asks PM ‘why question time is not answer time’; Labor quizzed on Nauru deal amid corruption allegations
Follow today’s news liveLabor strikes deal with Greens to pass long-awaited overhaul of nature protection laws‘Heavy heart’: Barnaby Joyce quits National party after 30 yearsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘We are very close’ on environment bill, Hanson-Young saysHanson-Young says she’s feeling more positive about a deal on the environment bill than she was at the start of the week.I don’t expect that we will get everything we want. We’re just trying one last time [on the basis] that I wanted more protections for our forests, and protections for climate, of course.If we can get movement... [Continue Reading]
Washington DC shooting updates: 2 National Guard troops critically wounded
These were the updates on the Washington, DC, shooting for Wednesday, November 26. [Continue Reading]
US suspends immigration requests for Afghans after National Guard shooting
The alleged gunman in the Washington shooting is an Afghan national who entered the US in September 2021. [Continue Reading]
Three arrested as Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 44
A huge fire still burning in a Hong Kong apartment complex that has killed at least 44 people and left almost 300 missing may have been spread by unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work, police said. [Continue Reading]
Large bull shark kills woman and injures man in attack at NSW beach
Swimmers aged in their 20s bitten by shark at Kylies beach in Crowdy Bay early on Thursday morning, with woman dying at the sceneFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman has died after a “large bull shark” attacked her and a man on the New South Wales mid-north coast at Kylies beach.The pair, both aged in their 20s, were swimming together at the beach at Crowdy Bay on Thursday morning when they were bitten, police said. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Australia clamps downs on ‘nudify’ sites used for AI-generated child abuse
Three websites used to create abuse imagery had received 100,000 monthly visits from Australians, watchdog says. [Continue Reading]
Miss Universe owners face fraud and trafficking allegations
Arrest warrant issued for missing Thai mogul Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, as co-owner investigated in Mexico. [Continue Reading]
Pope Leo XIV to visit Turkey and Lebanon in first foreign trip of his papacy
He will gather with leaders of other Christian traditions in Nicaea and celebrate Mass in Beirut. [Continue Reading]
Washington DC shooting: Trump calls shooting of national guard members ‘an act of terror’, vows new scrutiny of immigrants – as it happened
This live blog is now closed.Two West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCTrump news at a glance: president orders more troops to Washington DC after shooting of national guard membersBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide... [Continue Reading]
Two national guard members in critical condition after Washington DC shooting
Suspect in custody after two West Virginia guard members shot in ‘targeted’ incident, Washington mayor saysUS politics live – latest updatesTwo West Virginia national guardsmen shot near the White House remained in critical condition on Wednesday in an attack that rattled the country’s capital.The incident comes amid a controversial deployment of troops to Washington DC ordered by the Trump administration. FBI director Kash Patel, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser and other officials confirmed in a press conference that both the guardsmen were in the hospital and described the shooting as “targeted”. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Suspect in US national guard shooting identified as Afghan man
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, identified as suspect as Trump calls shooting in Washington DC ‘act of terror’Law enforcement officials have identified the suspected gunman in Wednesday’s shooting of two national guard members near the White House as a man from Afghanistan, as Donald Trump called the incident an “act of terror” and reiterated his attacks on immigrants and asylum seekers.Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the United States under a Biden-era policy allowing Afghans to enter after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
New rules crack down on high risk loans as Australian property market heats up
Regulator announces 20% cap on share of new lending banks can do on mortgages worth more than six times borrower’s incomeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA crackdown on risky lending will limit banks’ capacity to extend highly geared mortgages, as the financial regulator launches a pre-emptive strike against the growing excesses of an overheated property market.The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority announced a 20% cap on the share of new lending that banks can do at a debt-to-income ratio above six – a mortgage worth more than six... [Continue Reading]
Australia politics live: Ted O’Brien leads procession of Coalition MPs ejected from chamber in final question time of the year
Follow today’s news liveLabor strikes deal with Greens to pass long-awaited overhaul of nature protection laws‘Heavy heart’: Barnaby Joyce quits National party after 30 yearsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘We are very close’ on environment bill, Hanson-Young saysHanson-Young says she’s feeling more positive about a deal on the environment bill than she was at the start of the week.I don’t expect that we will get everything we want. We’re just trying one last time [on the basis] that I wanted more protections for our forests, and protections for climate, of course.If we can get movement... [Continue Reading]
Barnaby Joyce ‘strongly considering’ move to One Nation after quitting National party
Former leader Michael McCormack says he spent an hour with Joyce on Wednesday trying to convince him to remainFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce says he will resign from the National party, telling the parliament he was seeking “a better position” than the Coalition backbenches and claiming he has been ignored by his party leadership.The backbencher has not confirmed if he will – as widely speculated – seek to join One Nation or remain as an independent crossbencher. But he says he is “strongly considering” joining... [Continue Reading]
Asahi says 1.5 million customers' data leaked in cyber-attack
The ransomware attack in September crippled Asahi's Japan operations and caused a drinks shortage. [Continue Reading]
Australia's beloved weather website got a makeover - and infuriated users
Nicknamed the Bom, the country's weather agency has been heavily criticised over a recent redesign. [Continue Reading]
‘Heavy heart’: Barnaby Joyce quits National party after 30 years
Former leader Michael McCormack says he spent an hour with Joyce on Wednesday trying to convince him to remainFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce says he will resign from the National party, telling the parliament he was seeking “a better position” than the Coalition backbenches and claiming he has been ignored by his party leadership.But the backbencher has not detailed his political future, giving no indication about whether he would – as widely speculated – seek to join One Nation or remain as an independent crossbencher.... [Continue Reading]
Australia politics live: Barnaby Joyce says he is ‘strongly considering’ One Nation move after quitting the National party
Follow today’s news liveLabor strikes deal with Greens to pass long-awaited overhaul of nature protection lawsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘We are very close’ on environment bill, Hanson-Young saysHanson-Young says she’s feeling more positive about a deal on the environment bill than she was at the start of the week.I don’t expect that we will get everything we want. We’re just trying one last time [on the basis] that I wanted more protections for our forests, and protections for climate, of course.If we can get movement on those issues, I’ve always said that I’m up... [Continue Reading]
Jakarta overtakes Tokyo as world’s most populous city, according to UN
The rankings were changed after the UN used new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacitiesJakarta has overtaken Tokyo as the world’s most populous city, according to a UN study that uses new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacities.The Indonesian capital is home to 42 million people, according to an estimate by the population division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report published this month. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in 63 years: What we know and how it spread
At least 44 people have been killed in the blaze in Hong Kong's Tai Po neighbourhood. The fire is still raging. [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong Arrests 3 Tied to Construction Company After Deadly Apartment Fire
The police said that building materials used by the company for the work at Wang Fuk Court may not have been up to fire safety standards. The police did not identify the company or who was arrested. [Continue Reading]
What Is Operation Allies Welcome, the Program That Gave Some Afghans Entry to the U.S.?
The Biden administration set up the initiative after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021 for those who assisted U.S. troops. [Continue Reading]
Two National Guard members in critical condition after shooting near White House
President Trump says the gunman behind the "act of terror" was an Afghan who entered the US in 2021. [Continue Reading]
Washington DC shooting: Trump calls shooting of national guard members ‘an act of terror’, vows new scrutiny of immigrants – latest updates
President pledged crackdown on Afghan immigrants following reports that suspect entered US from Afghanistan in 2021Two West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and... [Continue Reading]
Police identify suspect in national guard shooting as Afghan man
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, identified as suspect as Trump calls shooting in Washington ‘act of terror’The suspected gunman in the shooting of two national guard members on Wednesday near the White House has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan man, according to law enforcement officials.Lakanwal, 29, is said to have entered the United States in September 2021, and been living in Washington state, law enforcement officials told the Associated Press and other outlets. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Two national guard members in critical condition after Washington DC shooting
Suspect in custody after two West Virginia guard members shot in ‘targeted’ incident, Washington mayor saysUS politics live – latest updatesTwo West Virginia national guardsmen shot near the White House remained in critical condition on Wednesday in an attack that rattled the country’s capital.The incident comes amid a controversial deployment of troops to the capital ordered by the Trump administration. FBI director Kash Patel, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser and other officials confirmed in a press conference that both the guardsmen were in the hospital and described the shooting a “targeted”. . Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Australia politics live: Barnaby Joyce quits National party after 30 years ‘with a heavy heart’
Follow today’s news liveLabor strikes deal with Greens to pass long-awaited overhaul of nature protection lawsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘We are very close’ on environment bill, Hanson-Young saysHanson-Young says she’s feeling more positive about a deal on the environment bill than she was at the start of the week.I don’t expect that we will get everything we want. We’re just trying one last time [on the basis] that I wanted more protections for our forests, and protections for climate, of course.If we can get movement on those issues, I’ve always said that I’m up... [Continue Reading]
Russia’s ‘shadow vessels’ using false flags to skirt sanctions, report says
Centre for Research on Energy says 113 Russian vessels have flown a false flag in the first nine months of 2025. [Continue Reading]
Dominican Republic Allows U.S. to Use Territory to Fight International Organized Crime
The Dominican leader, Luis Abinader, said the Pentagon could use restricted areas within the San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport for refueling and transporting equipment and technical personnel. [Continue Reading]
Shock and dismay after national guard troops shot near White House
Amid a frenetic scene, some residents said Trump’s militarization of the capital had much to answer forThe scene around Washington’s Farragut Square on Wednesday afternoon seem to fit Donald Trump’s most lurid stereotypes of a crime-ridden capital in need of federal troops to bring a firm smack of law and order.An area normally the preserve of professional office workers, coffee shops and lunch venues instead bore the hallmarks of a major crime scene as news spread that two national guard troops had been shot. Authorities later said the shooting suspect had been identified as an Afghan man. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Banks ordered to approve fewer risky loans as Australian property market heats up
Regulator announces 20% cap on share of new lending banks can do on mortgages worth more than six times borrower’s incomeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA crackdown on risky lending will limit banks’ capacity to extend large mortgages, as the financial regulator launches a pre-emptive strike against the growing excesses of an overheated property market.The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority announced a 20% cap on the share of new lending that banks can do at a debt-to-income ratio above six – a mortgage worth more than six times... [Continue Reading]
Environmental activist Ben Pennings declares ‘massive victory’ after Adani drops its years-long legal pursuit
Queensland supreme court orders Pennings, a campaigner against the Carmichael coalmine, not to seek to acquire Adani’s confidential informationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIndian mining company Adani has agreed to end its marathon legal pursuit of environmental activist Ben Pennings.Pennings declared victory on Thursday, after the Queensland supreme court signed off on orders on Wednesday, ending the five-and-a-half-year court battle. The order requires Pennings not to seek to acquire Adani’s confidential information or to ask others to do so, but the company has dropped a demand for... [Continue Reading]
Two Australian homes win top places in international 2025 Dezeen awards
A Dracula-inspired bathroom in Sydney and an outside-inside home in Melbourne claim interior design and architecture prizesGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailPoint Piper in Sydney’s eastern suburbs is home to one of the best bathrooms in the world, according to the annual Dezeen awards, a global design accolade.Its dark, moody and luxurious interiors were partly inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Barnaby Joyce expected to announce defection to One Nation as Nationals colleagues make last-ditch appeals
Former leader Michael McCormack says he spent an hour with Joyce on Wednesday and gave him his pitch to remain in the foldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce should “reflect on what the National party gave him”, colleague Michael McCormack says, as speculation increases that the maverick New England MP will quit the party on Thursday afternoon to switch to One Nation.Sources in the Nationals and One Nation expect an announcement from Joyce, the former deputy prime minister, after weeks of speculation he was planning to... [Continue Reading]
Two National Guard members in critical condition after shooting near White House
Law enforcement sources said the suspect was an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021. [Continue Reading]
Washington DC shooting: suspect in attack on national guard members identified as Afghan national – latest updates
Law enforcement officials tell AP and other outlets the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in 2021; two guardsmen remain in critical conditionTwo West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide... [Continue Reading]
Police identify suspect in national guard shooting as Afghan man
Person suspected of shooting two national guard troops near White House identified as Rahmanullah LakanwalThe suspected gunman in the shooting of two national guard members on Wednesday near the White House has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan man, according to law enforcement officials.Lakanwal is said to have entered the United States in September 2021, and been living in Washington state, law enforcement officials told the Associated Press and other outlets. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]