South Korea will not send military to support US war on Iran, defying Trump pressure

• World leaders will gather in New York starting Tuesday for several days of high-level debate at the United Nations General Assembly. • The assembly includes representatives from 193 member states, growing from the 51 original members that formed the organization in 1945.

• President Trump will meet with Persian Gulf leaders in New York next week during the United Nations General Assembly to discuss postwar strategy for the region. • U.S. officials also met over the weekend with representatives of Yemen's Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres released a report on September 16, 2026, detailing reprisals against human rights activists across 32 countries. • The International Maritime Organization chief called for an immediate end to attacks targeting seafarers and merchant ships.

• World leaders will gather in New York starting Tuesday for several days of high-level debate at the United Nations General Assembly. • Diplomats indicate there will likely be a high-level meeting on the sidelines regarding the conflict in Sudan.

• A Saudi-led coalition shot down a Houthi drone near Mecca on Tuesday amid ongoing regional instability. • The United States embassy issued a travel advisory urging citizens to reconsider traveling to Saudi Arabia following alerts in Mecca and other areas.

Incorrect media reporting is leading to inconsistent treatment of children across states and territories, the report foundFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSenators from the Liberals and Greens have joined forces to call for the age of criminal responsibility to be lifted, after a federal inquiry into the youth justice system found that incorrect media reporting was leading to an inconsistent treatment of children across states and territories.The Senate committee report, released on Friday, made four recommendations, including for the federal attorney general to work with state and territory counterparts to introduce national minimum standards in relation to youth justice and establish a “National Child and Community Safety Taskforce”. Continue reading...

Increase from 1% to 1.25% follows US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank tightening monetary policyBusiness live – latest updatesJapan’s central bank has increased interest rates to a fresh 31-year high as it attempts to combat high global inflation linked to the war in Iran.The Bank of Japan voted to raise its target interest rate from 1% to 1.25%, the highest level since 1995. Continue reading...

Peer takes full-time position at the controversial company as it fends off pressure from both Andy Burnham’s government and Sadiq KhanAnother former government minister has been hired by a controversial US AI company, this time Palantir, which has appointed Andy Burnham’s former ministerial colleague Tom Watson.The Labour peer and former deputy leader will operate alongside Palantir’s UK and Europe chief executive, Louis Mosley, as the company attempts to fend off pressure on Burnham’s government to axe its £330m NHS contract. It is also fighting Sadiq Khan in court over the Labour London mayor’s block on a £50m contract to use its AI in Metropolitan police investigations. Palantir also wants to win more public sector work in the UK, where it already has an annual turnover of £427m. Continue reading...

Sharangan Maheswaran denies message he received about NSW minister David Elliot was related to work for fugitive property developerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA former Labor councillor says he had a “common interest” with a conservative Liberal operative, but denied that a message he received about damaging the reputation of NSW Liberal minister David Elliot was related to political work for a fugitive property developer, an inquiry has heard.Sharangan Maheswaran told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday that a message sent to him by lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood claiming “We have something that will kill Elliott” did not relate to work by Greenwood’s company Beckington for Jean Nassif.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...

Research shows tens of millions of people are being forced to use platform that amounts to ‘backdoor’ on their deviceOver the past 18 months, tens of millions of Russians have been forced to install a new app on their phones – a violet-blue button designed for messaging and payments, called Max.Authorities have touted it as a patriotic alternative to Telegram and WhatsApp; Russian glitterati have promoted it in rap videos and comic routines. This summer, it became the country’s most-used messaging app. Continue reading...

Efra committee calls for emergency legislation enabling government to take public control of the company Andy Burnham is under further pressure to take control of ailing Thames Water from a cross-party group of MPs who are calling for ministers to break off talks with the US hedge funds who are effectively running the company.Adding their voices to demands that the prime minister takes public control of the company, which has debts of £20bn and is being controlled by a group of 100 hedge funds and distressed-debt investors, the MPs said in a report that ministers should consider emergency legislation to take control of its financial affairs to stabilise the company. Continue reading...