Top World News

Jul 22, 2026 - World

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, says the state’s Labor party is under threat from One Nation and “we’ve got to fight for those votes”.Appearing on ABC Radio National this morning, Minns was asked if One Nation was a “racist party”. He said people who had concerns about the levels of immigration weren’t necessarily racist but some of the things Pauline Hanson had said were.Certainly some of the things Pauline Hanson says are definitely racist, when she said there’s no such thing as a good Muslim. I mean, how else do you characterise that? You’ve got to be straight with people. And that clearly is. But I don’t think everyone who’s supporting them currently is racist at all … And we’ve got to fight for those votes.I think that we are under threat in a whole bunch of seats as a result of the surge of votes for One Nation … So we’re doing some what we regard as practical commonsense changes to policy in New South Wales.When people join the Do Not Call Register or unsubscribe from marketing messages, they are making a clear choice. Those choices must be respected – especially given the heightened risks of financial loss and psychological harm from gambling marketing.The scale and range of these breaches point to serious weaknesses in TAB’s compliance systems. Continue reading...

Jul 22, 2026 - World

Ten-second ‘siren’ to blare on most phones on Monday as part of national test despite reservations from some statesAn unsilenceable siren will blare out of most phones in Australia on Monday afternoon for ten seconds, with the federal government confirming a national test of the new AusAlert emergency alert will go ahead despite reservations from some state governments.Domestic violence campaigners and the National Emergency Management Agency have also repeated advice that people who may have secret ‘safe phones’, kept hidden for personal safety reasons, may want to turn off their devices for up to 24 hours after the test scheduled for 2pm (AEST) on Monday.iPhones 11 and up running iOS 26.4 or later;Apple Watch SE2, SE3, Series 6 and up running watchOS 26.4 or later;and Android devices running Android 12 or later. Continue reading...

Jul 22, 2026 - World

One Nation leader criticised by advocates after telling women being abused: ‘don’t put up with it’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has described domestic violence as “wrong” but a “two-way street”, and that women being abused should not put up with it, drawing condemnation from advocates who have accused the One Nation leader of victim-blaming.On Wednesday, Hanson told radio station 4BC domestic violence in Australia was a scourge but that society was under “so much pressure”, when asked to call out the issue. Continue reading...

Jul 22, 2026 - World

US military says it's launched an 11th night of strikes on Iran as they vie for control of choked-off Strait of Hormuz.

Jul 22, 2026 - World

In today’s newsletter: ​A White House operating without expertise, strategy or restraint ​is stuck in a conflict with no easy way out, which is sending economic shockwaves far beyond its own bordersGood morning. Within two hours of entering No 10 on Monday afternoon, Andy Burnham had his first call with Donald Trump. After chit-chatting about the football (both agreed England had an “excellent tournament”) and Manchester (our new prime minister invited the president to visit the city Trump once described as a “town”), they got on to far trickier territory: the strait of Hormuz.The US has attacked Iran for the eleventh consecutive night, hitting aircraft hangars and drone storage sites across the country. It came after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on US air bases and neighbouring Gulf states, which have accused it of deliberately targeting desalination plants that are essential to life in the region. Each side now claims it is preventing the other from gaining control over the strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil was shipped before the war began. Vessels carrying crucial shipments of oil, gas and fertiliser remain at a standstill.UK politics | Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to explain how he will pay for his policy pledges as he implored his new cabinet to examine “all possible ways” to tackle the cost of living crisis.UK news | A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of the former MP and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe. Joshua Kerry, 28, is accused of killing the former Conservative minister at her home in Haytor, Devon, by hitting her on the head with a hammer 21 times.Middle East | The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, told the Senate the US-Israel war on Iran had cost $37.5bn so far, as he faced lawmakers furious over the conflict’s soaring price tag and the deaths last week of three American service members.Climate crisis | About 23 million people will be banned from using hosepipes by this weekend, as England and Wales moves closer to drought status.Ukraine | Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and offered a “prominent position” to the defence minister he sacked last week in a move that sparked nationwide protests. Continue reading...