Who is Ben Carroll, the man who wants to be Victoria’s next premier?

• President Trump is struggling to find a strategic exit from the conflict with Iran, despite possessing significant military power. • The situation has revealed limits to the president's perceived power, leading to increased frustration and erratic behavior.

• On February 28, 2026, American and Israeli air forces conducted nearly 900 strikes against Iran, resulting in the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader. • In immediate retaliation for the strikes, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global maritime chokepoint for oil transport.

• The United States has paused airstrikes on Iran following nearly two weeks of continuous bombardment. • Mediators are currently attempting to revive an interim ceasefire, with specific negotiations focusing on easing transit restrictions for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Charlie Verco, who rescued Leah Stewart in June, is ‘stoked’ to claim his fourth championship in HawaiiThe Australian paddleboarder Charlie Verco has claimed his fourth world championship in Hawaii in record time – weeks after he rescued a Sydney woman who was attacked by a great white shark.The 25-year-old crossed the line in the gruelling 52km Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard race in 4 hours, 18 minutes and 3 seconds on Sunday, eclipsing the previous mark set by fellow Australian Matt Bevilacqua in 2019 by three minutes. Continue reading...

Challenges vary from poor transport links to high numbers of people flocking to the area looking for workWhen 19-year-old Dejanae set her online job search criteria for the local area, she was shocked at how few options came back. She studied animal science in college but is struggling to find work in the West Midlands.“It’s hard. You put Dudley, but it’s mainly jobs outside Dudley that come up because there just isn’t much here,” she said. “Even jobs in Birmingham (10 miles away) are difficult because I’m two hours away on a bus, so they don’t even want to consider me.” Continue reading...

Government move follows months of drought and crop failures in Karamoja, with 1.5m people facing malnutritionUganda has launched emergency food relief distribution after at least 19 deaths from hunger were reported in an area of prolonged drought in the east of the country.A crisis has been building in the Karamoja region of Uganda as crops have failed without the season’s expected rains, leaving the region’s 1.5 million people facing acute food shortages and rising malnutrition. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lawsuit filed on behalf of seven protesters alleges ban amounts to ‘a direct, content-based restriction’ on speech, effectively targeting pro-Palestine movementFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA group of pro-Palestine protesters have launched a high court challenge to a Queensland law banning the slogan “from the river to the sea”, arguing that it amounts to a discriminatory and unconstitutional infringement on free speech.The controversial laws, which also ban the expression “globalise the intifada”, were passed by the state’s Liberal National party government in response to December’s Bondi terrorist attack. Continue reading...

Federal government touts emergency warning alert test as a success and says no approach works 100% of the timeA blaring emergency warning alert Australians had been warned about was anti-climactic for some – and totally missed by others.Almost every phone in the country, alongside some smartwatches and tablets, was supposed to let off a loud noise at about 2pm AEST and receive a pop-up notification with the text “TEST MESSAGE” and “NO ACTION IS REQUIRED”. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsYet another company has been picked off London’s stock exchange this morning: DCC Energy has agreed to a £5.75bn takeover by private equity investors KKR and Energy Capital Partners.Shareholders in the FTSE 100 energy distributor will receive £65.25 per share ‌in cash, a proposed ‌final dividend of 147.22p per share, and a potential payment of up ‌to £1.25 per share if DCC can sell its technology unit for at least $800 million.Whilst the DCC Energy Board remains confident in the energy strategy and associated 2030 Ambition announced in 2022, the Board believes the Consortium’s offer represents a compelling opportunity for shareholders to crystallise value in cash at an attractive premium to DCC Energy’s historical trading price.We are confident that the Consortium will be strong stewards of DCC Energy’s 50-year heritage and support the business during its next phase of growth.” Continue reading...

So-called ‘Reformers’ hosted recruitment functions with speakers including Tony Abbott and Alan JonesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSenior politicians in the New South Wales Liberal party supported the work of a group of young conservative power brokers who sought to take control of the party and move it towards the right, the corruption watchdog has heard.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) began its Operation Rosny hearings into allegations of corruption against people associated with the NSW Liberal party on Monday. Continue reading...

Research shows AI accounts are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health adviceMisleading health claims online pose a “huge danger to public safety”, experts have warned, after research has shown that AI-generated doctors are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health advice.The British Medical Association council deputy chair, Dr Emma Runswick, flagged the risks posed by AI accounts that “peddle medical myths and promote so-called miracle cures”. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: Across ​the country, a ​younger generation is turning private disillusionment into public defiance​ against a government that once felt untouchableGood morning. As flames engulfed parts of France and Spain this weekend, in India, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, was trying to put out a very different kind of fire. Thousands of people arrived in Delhi on Saturday to demand the resignation of his education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. When he stepped down in the early afternoon, the protests turned into a triumphant block party.But the Cockroach protests that have swept through India this summer are about much more than a single minister. They have humiliated Modi and undermined the indomitable power of his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) that has ruled India for the past 12 years. They’re also a lesson in using humour to political advantage.Wild fires | Authorities in France battled to contain a huge wildfire near Bordeaux in the south-west as Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, warned Spain and the Iberian peninsula were suffering the effects of the climate emergency.Germany | A man suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Pride festival then going on a knife rampage in an Islamist terror attack has been shot dead by police, German officials have said.Iran | The US has paused strikes on Iran for a second night as top military officials advised Donald Trump to halt his bombing campaign, and diplomatic negotiations have continued to avoid a return to all-out war.UK politics | Britain’s foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, is to indicate he will put the climate crisis and overseas development at the heart of UK international relations by taking up the country’s seat on the board at the World Bank.UK news | Five Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists for breaking windows and throwing red paint at a branch of Barclays Bank in Lancashire.Monday | Andrew and Tristan Tate are due back in the Florida court where they’re fighting their extradition to the UK, to face rape and sex-trafficking charges.Tuesday | Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to be among those attending the Washington DC memorial service for the late South Carolina senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham.Thursday | People will go to the polls to elect the next mayor of Greater Manchester, who will replace Andy Burnham. Continue reading...