France’s far-right National Rally surges in Senate elections

• United Nations diplomats held a series of high-level talks this week focused on resolving conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. • The organization is currently struggling with shrinking budgets and waning influence amid mounting geopolitical tensions.

• The e61 Institute released new analysis warning that geopolitical crises could cost the federal budget balance the equivalent of 46 per cent of annual economic output. • The research indicates that war, bond meltdowns, and climate disasters risk pushing net debt past 30 per cent of economic output.

Former police officer has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in early 2024 – nine months after discussion with friend Georgia CookFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA Sydney police officer told a friend he would hide the bodies of anyone he killed in bushland and put their belongings in a dumpster, months before allegedly murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, a court has been told.Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, has been accused of fatally shooting the couple with a police service weapon in Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024. Continue reading...

David Perdue’s remarks come after a Taiwanese minister spoke of the ‘severe’ military threat posed by Beijing to the self-ruled islandDonald Trump offered to sell weapons to China while hosting its leader, Xi Jinping, last week, the US ambassador to China said on Sunday.David Perdue told Fox News on Sunday: “President Trump continues to say, hey, we sell arms to other people around the world. He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some at one point.” Continue reading...

Slinger Francisco, who performed as the Mighty Sparrow, died on Sunday surrounded by family in New YorkSlinger Francisco, known on stage as the Mighty Sparrow and dubbed the “calypso king of the world”, has died aged 91.Francisco, who got his breakthrough in calypso music with his 1956 hit song Jean and Dinah, died peacefully surrounded by his family in New York on Sunday, his family said in a statement. Continue reading...

Polling for rights group shows issue is concern for voters and many feel recent policies have had negative effect Free speech will be a big concern for voters at the next general election, with the government’s current approach on the issue perceived by many to be bad for Britain, polling suggests.Three in five people said a political party’s position on free speech would affect how they voted at a general election. The human rights organisation Liberty, which commissioned the polling from More in Common, claimed the results showed that Labour’s failure to protect free speech could cost it votes. Continue reading...

Hurricane Nolo is moving away from Hawaiian islands but threat of heavy rain, flash floods and strong winds persistsHurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas of the island chain still recovering from previous storms.Nolo was about 365 miles (585km) south-south-west of Honolulu and moving away from the Big Island at about 12mph (19kph). But the Hawaii county civil defense agency said a high wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds rose to 115mph (165kph). Continue reading...

Follow the day’s news live.Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog.Krishani Dhanji will join us shortly. We have budget news, interest rate hikes on the horizon and some expert views on autonomous AI and hacks. Continue reading...

US attorney general argues that president is ‘sick and tired’ of inaccurate reporting by CNN, MS Now and PoliticoDonald Trump’s attorney general Todd Blanche argued on Sunday that the administration banned three news outlets from the White House because it is “privilege … not a right” to be there.Appearing on the ABC News program This Week during the second week of the White House’s dispute over press credentialing and access, Blanche also said that the administration took the decision to ban CNN, MS Now and Politico beginning on 19 September because the president was “sick and tired” of what he considered to be those media outlets’ inaccurate reporting. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Dedicated service to support sexual assault victim-survivors as they navigate legal system to open in NSWGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt took Shannon Stokes two years and 11 days to successfully prosecute her former boyfriend for sexual assault and domestic violence offences. The lengthy trial left her feeling as though “there wasn’t going to be an end in sight”.Prosecutors secured convictions on nine of the 11 charges, and he was later sentenced to five years in prison. Continue reading...

John Kennedy pushes back against such spending as pro-Trump ‘public service announcements’ air before midtermsAs the White House expands a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign to promote Donald Trump’s political agenda before the November midterm elections, US senator John Kennedy told CBS News on Sunday “there ought to be a rule” against such spending – before tacitly admitting such spending is “probably” illegal.Kennedy, the US president’s fellow Republican, was asked by Margaret Brennan, the CBS Face the Nation host, about the White House spending to air multiple ads featuring Trump – including one that was produced for his 2024 election campaign. Continue reading...