Trump says US is pursuing third oil tanker linked to Venezuela
The move comes days after the US president said that he was ordering a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Read Full StoryLatest News
Australia news live: Albanese stands firm against federal royal commission and criticises politicisation of Bondi terror attack
NSW premier Chris Minns due to speak around midday as law reforms spark civil liberties concerns. Follow live updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastShareholders have overwhelmingly thrown their support behind a deal to create an Australian media giant spanning television, radio, print and digital, Australian Associated Press reports.Shareholders in the company that owns Seven Network and the West Australian yesterday approved its merger with the group that owns Triple M and the Hit Network radio stations.The combination of these two great companies will bring together the best content creators in the country and deliver significant financial and strategic benefits.This is an opportunity to create a national, diversified media organisation with extensive scale and reach across free-to-air television, streaming, audio and digital publishing assets.There will be a public version of the report. I mean, there will be elements of it which necessarily deal with classified information and it’s, by definition, important that remains classified. But we’ve made clear there’ll be transparency in respect of this.Dennis Richardson is a person with enormous experience, first-hand experience, in terms of being secretaries of departments, but also these intelligence agencies. Continue reading...
US regulators approve Wegovy pill, first oral medication to treat obesity
Food and Drug Administration’s approval hands drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge in the race to market an obesity pillUS regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.The US Food and Drug Administration’s approval handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, is still under review. Continue reading...
‘Is this real?’: wife of detained pastor describes anguish as China cracks down on unofficial churches
Church leaders and members detained as government tightens controls on underground Christian gatheringsThe knocks came at 2am. Hiding out at a friend’s house in a Beijing suburb, Gao Yingjia and his wife, Geng Pengpeng, rushed downstairs to meet the group of plain-clothed men who said they were police officers. Their son, nearly six, was sleeping upstairs, and Gao and Geng wanted to minimise the ruckus. They knew their time was up.Two months later, Gao is in a detention centre in Guangxi province, southern China, charged with “illegal use of information networks”. His arrest was part of the biggest crackdown on Christians in China since 2018. It has prompted alarm from the US government and human rights groups, with some analysts describing it as the death knell for unofficial churches in China. Continue reading...
Former BlackRock executive Mark Wiseman named as Canada’s next ambassador to US
Financier will assume the role on 15 February, ahead of US free trade negotiations, says prime minister Mark Carney Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, announced that financier Mark Wiseman will serve as the country’s next ambassador to the US, an appointment that comes at a critical time in relations between the two major trading partners.Wiseman will assume the role on 15 February and will be involved in negotiations with the US regarding the review of their free trade agreement. Continue reading...
Trump announces plans for new navy warships to be known as ‘Trump-class’
President says the ships will be bigger, faster and a hundred times more powerful than any previous US-built warshipJust when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. Donald Trump has announced plans for the US navy to build a new generation of warships – known as “Trump-class”.The ships will be bigger, faster and a hundred times more powerful than any previous US-built warship, the president said on Monday. The project will begin with construction of two such battleships and eventually be expanded to 20 to 25 new vessels. Continue reading...
Former mineworkers celebrate ‘historic’ £100-a-week UK pensions boost
Scheme members will also receive lump sums averaging £5,500 after government hands over £2.3bn reserveSome former mineworkers who are receiving a £100-a-week boost to their pensions after a hard-fought battle say they will now no longer need to worry about money.The Guardian had reported that people were “dying in abject poverty” and unable to “afford to bury themselves” after the government raided billions from their pensions. Continue reading...
Trump says US 'has to have' Greenland after naming special envoy
Denmark warns Washington to respect its sovereignty, while Greenland says it will decide its own future.
ABC defends Laura Tingle and Sarah Ferguson amid ‘unfounded’ criticism of Bondi shooting coverage
Hugh Marks calls questions about media’s role in wake of mass tragedy ‘understandable’ but says reviews must be ‘factual and accurate’Ten minutes of terror: how the Bondi mass shooting unfolded in real time – videoFollow the latest live updatesThe ABC’s managing director has defended two of the network’s best-known journalists, Laura Tingle and Sarah Ferguson, after criticism of their coverage of the Bondi terror attack.Hugh Marks released a statement on Monday night in which he described the shooting that killed 15 people and injured dozens more on the first night of Hanukah as “a shocking and traumatic event for Australia and especially for the Jewish community” and extended to the Jewish community “our deepest sympathy”. Continue reading...
Two New Banksy Murals Appear in London
Two new London murals, widely attributed to the mysterious street artist, combine seasonal themes with what appears to be social commentary on rising child homelessness in Britain.