Karen Bass heads to LA mayoral runoff after falling short of majority

• International NGOs are warning of a collapsing humanitarian situation in Yemen four years after the United Nations truce. • Geopolitical friction and tactical exploitation by disruptive actors are currently hindering regional stability and economic growth initiatives.

• The Albanese government is facing increasing pushback over proposed reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), with critics warning that cuts could cause significant harm to participants. • In the Middle East, Israel continued its overnight offensive, while Tehran announced it is halting peace talks and intends to fully close the strait of Hormuz.

Sarah Jones appeals for calm after rioting over the death of Nowak, who was handcuffed while dying from stab woundGood morning. Keir Starmer spoke for many people yesterday when he said that he felt “sick” watching the video of Henry Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying, while a police officer who had been told Nowak had committed a racist assault ignored Nowak saying he had been stabbed. Starmer’s was a good faith response to the tragedy, which saw Nowak’s killer jailed for life on Monday.But there have been plenty of bad faith responses to the murder too, which culminated in rioting in Southampton last night. Here is our overnight story about yesterday’s events. Continue reading...

OECD forecast sets out economic risks from conflict, pointing to potential shortfalls to key energy productsOECD predicts spate of recessions globally if Iran conflict drags into 2027Rural areas in the UK would be particularly at risk of diesel shortages if the conflict in Iran continues to squeeze supplies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned.The OECD predicted economic growth of 0.9% in the UK this year – a modest upgrade from the 0.7% it feared in March when it last updated its forecasts. It said government spending will help to support the economy in the short term. Continue reading...

The economy was slowing even before the Middle East conflict and interest rate hikes started to bite, while the boom in datacentres was a rare bright spotGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe economy slowed sharply in early 2026 and Australians’ living standards are once again going backwards.At the risk of upsetting the treasurer by “talking down the economy”, as he put it, there wasn’t all that much to love in the latest national accounts. Continue reading...

Watchdog says ‘publishers will now have effective tools to prevent content being used to power AI features in search’Publishers will be able to opt out of their content being used to train Google’s AI models and power its search summaries, the UK competition watchdog has announced as it imposes new conduct requirements on search services.“Publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews,” the Competition and Markets Authority said. Continue reading...

Senate estimates hearing told issues caused by a glitch in the automated system that runs the controversial mutual obligations schemeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe government has admitted it illegally cancelled hundreds of thousands of Centrelink payments because of a glitch in the automated system that runs the controversial mutual obligations scheme, it has been revealed.Speaking at senate estimates on Wednesday, representatives for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations said the number of illegal cancellations, where people were not given enough time to reconnect to a job provider after missing a compulsory activity as part of their mutual obligations, was in “the vicinity” of 300,000. Continue reading...

Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates nicotine consumption rose 40%, with illicit sources accounting for 80% of all tobaccoFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are consuming more nicotine than they were eight years ago but are spending less, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows, as 80% of the cigarettes smoked by the nation last year were cheaper illegal products.The analysis released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday showed the amount of nicotine consumed around the country soared by 40% between 2017 and 2025, despite population growth rising by just 14%. Continue reading...

Early results show Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer emerging in front, with many ballots to be countedThe high-stakes gubernatorial race in California remained too close to call on Tuesday night, with early results showing a tight contest in the crowded race.With many ballots still left to be counted, three candidates emerged at the top: Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer. And results were clear enough that two Democratic candidates – San Jose mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – conceded the race shortly after polls closed. Continue reading...

Campaigners say builders’ demolition of nest site highlights weak protection of wildlife from developmentA building that was a noted nesting site for swifts, among the UK’s most at-risk birds, has been demolished during the nesting season, highlighting significant weaknesses in the protection of wildlife from development, campaigners say.Contractors for the housebuilder Hill Group carried out the demolition of Regent House near Dorking station in Surrey over the last few weeks, during the nesting season which runs from 1 March to 31 August. Continue reading...

CCTV cameras caught the carnivorous marsupial skulking around deserted grounds at 4am Tuesday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA search is under way on Queensland’s Gold Coast for a missing Tasmanian devil who escaped her enclosure in a daring early morning dash caught on camera.The devil, named Mary, did a Houdini from the Paradise Country theme park, escaping from quarantine in the early hours of Tuesday. Continue reading...