Telstra blames missing software update and undocumented design change for massive outage

• Global tensions are escalating across the Middle East, prompting governments to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional war. • The conflict is creating significant risks for international shipping, global oil markets, and geopolitical stability.

• Economic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to have a delayed impact, with the full effects potentially not manifesting until the second half of 2026. • The situation involves critical intersections of energy, trade, and food security within the Middle East and North Africa region.

• The U.S. State Department is hosting a meeting with international officials to discuss the threat of left-wing terrorism. • Counterterrorism experts argue that the Trump administration's specific focus on the far left fails to provide necessary context regarding the broader spectrum of political extremism.

• The U.S. has conducted strikes against Tehran for five consecutive days, while Israeli forces killed four people in Gaza, including a 6-year-old girl. • Israel’s Security Cabinet approved nearly $500 million for new settlements in the occupied West Bank, as half of congressional Democrats now support cutting military funding to Israel.

NBC and CNN stayed away from White House speech, while Fox News, MS Now, CBS and some ABC affiliates aired itThe US’s largest television stations split on whether to air Donald Trump’s White House address live on Thursday night, which was heavy on unproven accusations about the integrity of the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.While CNN, ABC and NBC chose not to air the speech live, CBS, Fox News and MS Now (formerly MSNBC) aired at least large portions of the speech live. ABC did not air the speech as a must-run broadcast, but some station affiliates – including the Washington DC station owned by right-leaning broadcaster Sinclair – chose to air the speech. Continue reading...

Appearing on a podcast with the far-right UK activist who goes by the name Tommy Robinson, Hanson makes evidence-free claims about migrantsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has used an interview with the far-right British activist Tommy Robinson to blame the end of the White Australia policy for creating what she sees as problems with migration and said her daughter, Lee Hanson, was the future of One Nation.The One Nation leader, who is visiting the UK for a series of conference appearances and a holiday with her billionaire benefactor Gina Rinehart, appeared on an episode of Robinson’s podcast on Friday, repeating unsubstantiated claims about the spread of sharia law and accusing Muslim communities, without evidence, of rorting the national disability insurance scheme. Continue reading...

Businesses and traffic in West Hollywood doused after century-old pipe bursts belowgroundA century-old water pipe buried below a bustling boulevard in a Los Angeles county city burst early Thursday, sending a shock of water spewing into the streets and snarling traffic as several major roads shut down.The 36in riveted steel pipe’s rupture left a protruding sinkhole and cracked pavement in West Hollywood. Images of the aftermath showed local metro buses partially submerged in murky brown water. Continue reading...

Australian government says it is ‘deeply frustrated’ and will continue to press for ‘real charges with teeth’ over deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-BowlesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government says it wants “real charges with teeth” over the fatal methanol poisoning of two teenage travellers in Laos, as authorities prepare to lay lesser charges that have been called “bitterly” disappointing.Melbourne travellers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were backpacking through the south-east Asian nation in late 2024 when they were fatally poisoned with methanol while drinking at Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng. Continue reading...

Move would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to potentially profit from seeing president’s posts firstDonald Trump’s media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own, affecting national security and financial markets.The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from top Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so they could profit off subsequent moves in stocks, bonds and interest rates. Continue reading...

Taylor Farms reportedly linked to outbreak thought to be in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and KentuckyWhat is cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea?Amid an ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, federal health officials are reportedly looking at iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that was supplied to Taco Bell as a possible source.On Thursday afternoon, the Washington Post, CNN and other media outlets reported that the lettuce supplier had been linked to the outbreak, citing unnamed sources “familiar with the investigation”. Continue reading...

Speculation surrounding tonight’s address has mounted since Trump promised big announcement without being specificTrump to deliver TV speech amid speculation over elections announcementSign up for the Breaking News US emailTrump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, returned from maternity leave Thursday and teased the president’s upcoming address from the White House briefing room.Fielding questions about the substance of the president’s televised address tonight – specifically reports that Trump plans to unveil new claims of interference in the 2020 election, despite the lack of evidence of widespread fraud – Leavitt argued that the president remains focused on the results because “the media has refused to acknowledge that tens of millions of Americans share his concerns about the sanctity of our elections.” Continue reading...