Nats boss summoned by UK transport secretary as flight chaos enters second day

• The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum signed a major oil and gas exploration and production agreement with the Saudi company Delta Energy in Kabul. • The deal focuses on the exploration and production of energy resources within Afghanistan.

New roles at Woking-based manufacturer will include positions for indirect and agency workersThe British supercar manufacturer McLaren is to create 1,000 jobs in a welcome boost to the UK’s struggling automotive industry.The carmaker is creating the jobs as part of a £450m investment in its technology centre in Woking, near to the plant where it manufactures all of its vehicles. Continue reading...

UK foreign secretary ‘regrets’ Israel’s response to ban on trade with illegal settlements but ‘proud’ of his actionsUK accuses Israeli ‘terrorists’ of ethnic cleansing in West Bank with government backingGood morning. Yesterday Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, made what may turn out to be one of the most important Commons statements of the year. Here is our overnight report by Pippa Crerar, Jessica Elgot and Kiran Stacey.Here is an analysis by Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor. Continue reading...

Andrew Frederick’s body was found in property he was staying at in Grenada in JanuaryThe family of a British father who was found dead in the Caribbean in January is urging authorities in Grenada to work with UK police to uncover the truth about his death.Andrew Frederick’s body was found in the property he was staying at in Grenada on 4 January. An autopsy, performed in the same week by a privately hired pathologist, concluded that the 47-year-old’s death was a homicide. Continue reading...

Funding from $560m invitation-only scheme prompts calls to make grant rules more transparentGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has claimed he did not know he was a member of his local golf club when his government gave it $6m for renovations, accusing the ABC of inappropriate reporting.The money came from an opaque $560m invitation-only grants scheme to fund projects Labor promised at the 2025 election, largely for Labor-held seats, prompting calls to make grant rules more transparent.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...

Ukrainian leader calls for more action from allies following overnight attacks in which two people diedAt least two people died were injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying “there has been too little response from the international community to these strikes.”Two people were killed, three injured and 16 evacuated after a strike on the Starokozache border crossing with Moldova. Four people were injured after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Kyiv. More strikes were reported in Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr. Continue reading...

Brent crude rises by 2% as jump in energy costs stokes fears over inflation and higher interest ratesBusiness live – latest updatesThe price of oil has risen above $100 a barrel for the first time since July as the escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens further disruption to global supplies.Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose 2.1% to over $100 a barrel after tensions stepped up in the Gulf with the Iran-backed Houthis attacking four cities in Saudi Arabia overnight, wounding more than 70 people and setting oil installations ablaze in a significant expansion of the war. Continue reading...

White House warns trading partners against ‘imposing digital services taxes, fines, and other forms of extortion’ on US tech sectorFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe Trump administration will confront Australia over its plan to force digital platforms to take down harmful content and let users opt out of algorithm-generated “for you” feeds.Big tech companies would be fined over $100m for breaching the proposed laws and the Australian government is under pressure to raise those fines even further. Continue reading...

The Canning MP says the cartoon, first posted by Hanson on social media over a month ago, calls him a traitor eight timesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal frontbencher and SAS veteran Andrew Hastie has called Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce “lying cowards”, after he claimed a One Nation cartoon portrayed him as a traitor for providing evidence in court against Ben Roberts-Smith.Hastie further escalated his fight with One Nation on Wednesday, a day after the Canning MP used a letter to supporters to promise to take on Hanson and her chief strategist, James Ashby, directly – even hinting at costly court action. Continue reading...

The former National Socialist Network is challenging ban in high court, arguing law breaches implied freedom of political communicationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe White Australia party is a “modern manifestation” of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement and would motivate hate crimes against sections of the country, the high court has heard.The White Australia party, formerly known as the National Socialist Network (NSN), was designated as an illegal hate group in May after the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (Asio) passed on its recommendation to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke. Continue reading...

Downing Centre court hears that the alleged victim was usually outgoing but his demeanour changed at a meeting with Jones at his apartment • Listen to the podcast Alan Jones on TrialA politician who worked with an alleged victim of Alan Jones has told a Sydney court the man looked uncharacteristically “sunken and diminished” when meeting with the broadcaster at his Circular Quay apartment.The former MP, who Guardian Australia has chosen not to name because it may lead to the identification of the alleged victim, known as complainant C, said the man was usually outgoing and engaged but his demeanour changed once he sat down at a table with his former boss. Continue reading...