Democrats to investigate whether DoJ withheld Epstein files on Trump abuse claim
Lawmaker says DoJ appears to have withheld interviews with survivor who accused Trump of ‘heinous crimes’Democrats on the House oversight and government reform committee announced on Tuesday the launch of an investigation to determine whether the US Department of Justice (DoJ) purposely withheld materials that pertain to allegations against Donald Trump in the government’s release of the Epstein files.The lawmakers pledged to look into a report that Trump had been accused by a woman of sexually abusing her decades ago when she was a minor, and that material relating to the allegation in the Epstein files has not been released to the public. Continue reading...
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Chris Baghsarian: two men arrested in relation to alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Sydney man
Human remains suspected of being those of Baghsarian were found on Tuesday morning near a golf club in Pitt Town, on Sydney’s northwest fringeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo men have been arrested “in relation to the alleged kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian”, police have said.New South Wales police said a man, 29, was arrested in Kenthurst and a man, 24, was arrested in Castle Hill. They were taken to Riverstone police station as inquiries continued. No charges had been laid as of Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
Woolworths reports 16% jump in profits as ACCC prepares legal action over ‘illusory’ discounts
Earnings report released on Wednesday shows supermarket made $859m net profit in past six months as higher prices hit shoppersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWoolworths has reported a significant 16.4% rise in profit, helped by expanding its margins in its key supermarket business.In its half-year earnings report released on Wednesday, Woolworths recorded an increase in underlying net profit to $859m over the six months to 4 January, up from $739m in the prior corresponding period. Continue reading...
State of the Union address: Trump to speak to Congress as dozens of Democrats plan boycott – live updates
US president signaled a ‘long speech’, expected to start at 9pm ET, which will double as pitch to voters ahead of midterms later this yearState of the Union speech: when is it and how can you watch?Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxErika Kirk, the widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will attend tonight’s State of the Union address as a special guest of the president.After her husband was assassinated at a college event for his non-profit Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk took over the organization.If he’s coming to our house, you got to be there. Otherwise, you let him own the house. Continue reading...
Australia news live: inflation steady at 3.8% in year to January amid fears of another interest rate hike
Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolitico, a major US news company, is set to launch in Australia later this year.The company announced a move into the Australian market and the launch of a new product called Canberra Playbook when parliament returns in the third quarter of 2026, after the winter recess.POLITICO’s expansion to Australia will bring its signature ahead-of-the-curve, insider political and policy journalism to help the country’s most influential audiences cut through the noise in a vibrant democracy.The expansion will further POLITICO’s mission of linking global power centers and help readers in North America and Europe understand the decisions made in Australia that affect them and vice versa. Continue reading...
US military leaders pressure Anthropic to bend Claude safeguards
Anthropic presents itself as most safety-forward AI firm and Pentagon has threatened penalties if it does not yieldUS military leaders including Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, met with executives from the artificial intelligence firm Anthropic on Tuesday to hash out a dispute over what the government will be able to do with the company’s powerful AI model. Hegseth gave Dario Amodei, the Anthropic CEO, until the end of the day on Friday to agree to the department’s terms or face penalties, Axios reported.Anthropic, which presents itself as the most safety-forward of the leading AI companies, has been mired in weeks of disagreement with the Pentagon over how the military is allowed to use its large language model, Claude. US defense officials have pushed for unfettered access to Claude’s capabilities, while Anthropic has reportedly resisted allowing its product to be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons systems that can use AI to kill people without human input. The Department of Defense (DoD) has integrated Claude into its operations, but has threatened to sever the relationship over what its top brass perceives as roadblocks erected by Anthropic. Continue reading...
Man convicted of killing 70-year-old grocery store owner executed in Florida
Melvin Trotter, 65, gets lethal injection for 1986 stabbing death, becoming second person executed by state this yearA man convicted of killing a 70-year-old grocery store owner was put to death Tuesday in Florida, becoming the second person executed by the state this year after a record 19 executions in 2025.Melvin Trotter, 65, was pronounced dead at 6.15pm following a lethal injection at Florida state prison near Starke for the 1986 stabbing death of Virgie Langford, according to authorities. Alex Lanfranconi, a spokesperson for Republican governor Ron DeSantis, said there were no complications. Continue reading...
Suspect, four victims dead after stabbing attack in US state of Washington
A 32-year-old suspect stabbed four people to death before being shot by a sheriff’s deputy near Tacoma, Washington.
US justice department sues UCLA over alleged antisemitism amid pro-Palestinian protests
Lawsuit is latest action by Trump administration against a university and escalation of president’s feud with CaliforniaThe justice department sued the University of California, Los Angeles on Tuesday, alleging the university created a hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff after protests against the war on Gaza broke out across campus.The lawsuit claims UCLA violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by “failing to prevent and correct discriminatory and harassing conduct” after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and ensuing war on Gaza. The lawsuit is the latest action against a US university by the Trump administration since the president took office last year, and an escalation of Donald Trump’s feud with the state of California. Continue reading...
Half of Britons avoid calling GP when they are ill, survey finds
Most believe they will struggle to get an appointment, with over a quarter choosing to manage ailment themselvesAlmost half the public delay or avoid contacting their GP surgery when they are ill, mainly because they think they will struggle to get an appointment.Overall 48% of people across the UK did not bother to ask their family doctor for help – either initially or at all – when they got sick over the past year, a survey found.Faster access to GPs and A&E are the public’s top priorities for the NHS.Only 32% believe the NHS provides a good service nationally.42% think the standard of NHS care has worsened over the past year and only 12% think that it has improved.47% fear NHS care will decline further over the next year and just 15% expect it to get better Continue reading...