China expresses ‘grave concern’ as internal documents reveal suicide warning before death in Melbourne immigration detention

• Author Abdillahi Jama Ali-Qurus warns that the Horn of Africa is reaching a "melting point" as diverse geopolitical conflicts converge in the region. • The instability is driven by the competing ambitions of Türkiye, Gulf powers, Israel, and Western nations, alongside the spillover from the Houthi conflict in Yemen.

Tories accuse Reform of ‘peddling conspiracy theories’ as row erupts in wake of Conservative leader’s trip to Rome Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch have spent years trading barbs and fighting for the rightwing vote. But now the party leaders find themselves in a much more bizarre struggle – for the affections of the rightwing Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.The row began on Monday when the Times published an article claiming that during a meeting in Rome, Meloni had advised the Conservative leader against doing a deal with Farage to unite the right. After complaints from Reform – and, reportedly, Meloni’s team – the article was amended to remove that claim. Continue reading...

Social services minister says social media was playing a role in the increase of sexual violence among teenagersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe government is considering allowing users to opt in or opt out of social media algorithms, and is looking at a recent UK ban on depictions of strangulation and suffocation in pornography.The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said social media was “playing a huge role” in the increase in sexual violence among teenagers and choking, and confirmed the options were being considered as the government develops its second action plan to end family and domestic violence against women and children. Continue reading...

The walls of a teaching hospital are filled with pictures of unidentified victims as authorities collect DNA samples and plan burials before morgues fill upFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSome of them are young, some old; most of them appear to be men. Some of them could be sleeping, except for the mud that covers their bodies. Some, it seems, would be impossible to recognise even if you knew them well.Every few hours Nepalese authorities hang pictures of the deceased, who have not been identified, on a wall at the back of a teaching hospital in Kathmandu. Continue reading...

Plaskett fire has swept through more than 5,900 acres in Monterey county and remains un-contained, says Cal FireA fire in California’s Big Sur region doubled in size overnight, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, in a coastal region where firefighters have battled another blaze for weeks.The Plaskett fire, which sparked on Tuesday, had swept through more than 5,900 acres (2,400 hectares) in Monterey county as of Friday, and remained un-contained, according to Cal Fire. Its cause is under investigation. Continue reading...

‘My heart goes out to all the Nepalese families who are grieving loved ones,’ Cara Severino says. Follow latest updates liveCara Severino, an Australian woman in Nepal who was missing following devastated floods, has been located and is in contact with officials, Penny Wong’s office has confirmed.The foreign minister’s office confirmed overnight Severino was travelling to a safe location with the help of Australia’s consular officials, who travelled by four-wheel-drive to Kathmandu to locate her along a trekking route.This is a rare piece of positive news amid a disaster that has brought immense loss and uncertainty …I have spoken directly with her and am very pleased to know she is safe. She has also spoken with her family, which I know will be a great relief to them. Continue reading...

One Nation candidate Luke Herdegen secures 57% of the vote after preferences as party’s WA leader says result will send shock waves across the countryOne Nation has claimed victory in the Secret Harbour state byelection in Western AustraliaWith 74.5% of the vote counted, One Nation’s Luke Herdegen leads Labor’s Georgia Tree 57-42 after preferences. Continue reading...

Matt Bradley and crew assaulted while interviewing woman who said settlers had driven family out of homeA Palestinian woman and an NBC News team are reported to have been attacked and injured by masked Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday, amid worsening confrontations in the area.Benjamin Netanyahu said he condemned the violence committed “by a handful of rioters”. Continue reading...

Reporting season shows how consumers are responding to cost of living pressures and how retailers are respondingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are buying less pizza but more weight-loss drugs. They love “dupes” but don’t enjoy writing letters.Here are five key takeaways from the August reporting season that show what consumers are buying as cost of living pressures reignite, and how retailers are responding. Continue reading...

Jose Carlos Hoyoz-Munoz was arrested after a family altercation and restrained for ‘combative’ behaviorA cadre of Los Angeles police officers beat and restrained a handcuffed man in July, minutes before he was found dead in a jail cell, according to newly released body-cam footage.On 15 July, Jose Carlos Hoyoz-Munoz, 58, was found unconscious in his cell at the Van Nuys regional jail. At the time, the LAPD said two use-of-force incidents had occurred, without specifying the nature. In the video released on Friday, the department said three use-of-force incidents occurred. Continue reading...

Bill Lee says he favors proposal to rename Nashville’s international airport after legendary country singerBill Lee, the Tennessee governor, on Friday said he favored a proposal to rename Nashville’s international airport after legendary country singer Dolly Parton, who died three days earlier at age 80.In a statement, Lee said he and the managers of the airport in Tennessee’s capital city – where Parton resided – wanted to create “a lasting tribute to her indelible legacy and the generations of people she inspired”. He said he had spoken previously to the 11-time Grammy winner and her team, who were “touched by the idea”. Continue reading...

Tulshi Patel says mother Hemangini Jitendra Patel and aunt Hema Sunil Amin were last seen at Friendship Bridge on Nepal-China border• Nepal-Tibet flash flood – latest updatesThe daughter of a woman missing in Nepal has told how she traced her mother’s location through a TikTok video posted hours before the devastating flash flood hit.The catastrophic flash floods that hit Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, thundering down valleys and sweeping away entire villages, have killed at least 675 people, while more than 3,000 remain missing. Continue reading...