Australia news live: poll puts One Nation ahead of Labor; free public transport ends in Victoria

• Max Hastings argues that the United Nations' global influence has significantly declined, leaving it unable to effectively mediate modern conflicts. • The analysis highlights a shift from Cold War-era relevance to a current state of great-power deadlock that hampers international cooperation.

• India expanded its defense diplomacy during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh conducting high-level bilateral meetings. • The engagements focused on strengthening security ties and strategic cooperation with senior counterparts from the Netherlands and Australia.

• The Taliban administration has officially welcomed China's expanded role in managing Afghanistan-related discussions and draft resolutions at the United Nations. • This diplomatic shift indicates a growing reliance on Beijing to mediate Afghanistan's international standing and navigate complex UN processes.

• Evidence suggests the current Ebola outbreak is broader, more fragmented, and more entrenched than the initial assessment of a regional emergency. • Public health officials are struggling to contain the virus, indicating that critical lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic have not been applied.

• Defense experts are warning that future military conflicts will be decided by the speed at which targeting data is generated to deliver long-range effects. • This shift emphasizes a move toward rapid, automated targeting cycles to maintain a competitive edge in high-intensity warfare.

• The House of Commons Library has published a comprehensive timeline documenting the major events of the Russia-Ukraine conflict from the February 2022 invasion to the present. • The report tracks key military developments, diplomatic efforts, and geopolitical shifts resulting from Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

Crews extinguished blaze before finding child deceased inside Werribee home, Victoria police saidFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA child has died and a man has been left seriously injured after an early morning house fire in Melbourne’s south-west.Emergency services were called to Newbury Street in Werribee just after midnight on Monday. Continue reading...

Social housing landlords to be able to evict perpetrators, while right-to-buy tenancy requirements to riseSocial housing landlords will be able to evict domestic abuse perpetrators under a new bill, which will also increase the tenancy required before residents qualify for the right-to-buy scheme from three to 10 years in England.The government said the bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords on Monday, would fix “the long-term decline in social housing” and offer new protections for social tenants who were subjected to domestic abuse. Continue reading...

The Bristol trip-hop group will perform in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in AugustMassive Attack are set to tour Australia for the first time in 16 years.The influential British trip-hop group, made up of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, will play Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in August. The upcoming tour will be the band’s fourth appearance in Australia and their first Australian shows since 2010. Continue reading...

Security came to inspect aircraft in Newark after report of Bluetooth device with a ‘certain four-letter word’A United Airlines plane bound for Spain from Newark Liberty international airport turned around mid-flight on Saturday due to a possible security threat.That came one day after another United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis from Chicago was diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday because an unruly passenger evidently tried to breach the cockpit. Continue reading...

New data suggests success in Gavin Newsom’s crackdown, as Illinois, Hawaii and Florida also report notable decreasesCalifornia reported one of the largest decreases in homelessness over the past year, according to a new report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (Hud).The Golden state recorded a total unhoused population of 181,934 in 2025 – an almost 3% decrease since the year prior, placing it among the five states with the largest decreases from 2024. However, more significant drops were recorded in Illinois (44%), Hawaii (41%), Florida (11%) and New York (8%). Continue reading...